


Dangan Royale

by GenjiMachinegun



Category: Battle Royale - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Battle Royale Fusion, Alternate Universe - Dangan Ronpa Fusion, Crossover, Dangan Ronpa Spoilers, Fan Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-12-21
Updated: 2018-04-01
Packaged: 2019-02-18 00:41:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13088838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GenjiMachinegun/pseuds/GenjiMachinegun
Summary: The cast from all 3 Danganronpa main games were kidnapped and trapped in an uninhabited island, where only the last survivor earns the right to return home, meaning they will have to kill the people they have formed bonds with if they wish to escape. Will the students stay true to their ideals and cling to hope, or will they succumb to despair and betray their friends?





	1. Chapter 1

“Hey, Tenko, did you see professor Kazuo? I swear I just saw him a few seconds ago, but he suddenly vanished the moment I turned my eyes. ” Kaede Akamatsu inquired her friend perplexed by the abrupt disappearance of their teacher, still quickly scanning the bus that carried them.

Normally, the Ultimate Pianist wouldn’t be so uneasy. However, given the recent circumstances, she had every reason in the world and more to grow concerned. Several high school classes all across Japan had been mysteriously kidnapped and slaughtered. Brutally. But the worst part was that the deaths of the students were by the hands of each other. And then they were broadcasted to the Internet.

She tried to remain optimistic and cling to the fact that the chances of suffering the same fate as those poor high school students was extremely low, and that the authorities had been working restlessly to prevent another tragedy, but she was simply too rational to blindly believe a charming lie.

“Fortunately, no. My eyes have no need to be tainted by degenerate males.” the Ultimate Aikido Master hissed with discuss, additional repulse added in the word «males». “On the other hand, that old fart might be hiding underneath the seats of the bus and taking photos up the girls’ skirts!” she panicked at the thought of her friends’ honour being stained. “Himiko! I’ll save you!”

“Chill! Professor Kazuo wouldn’t do such a thing, and you know it, Tenko! Guys aren’t beasts!” she scolded the illogical biases of her friend as she halted her advances with a firm grip around her powerful wrist and pulling her back to her seat.

“Fine! I suppose you aren’t _too_ wrong.” Tenko yielded as she crossed her arms in defeat. “I guess... I guess I just wanted a reason to talk to Himiko.”

“Tenko, I’m gonna tell you this because I worry about you. Please don’t take this the wrong way: You have to give Himiko some space. You’re always overly concerned about her and she’s obviously sick of it. No wonder she wanted to sit next to Angie! The girl needed to breath!” the blonde female clarified as Chabashira stared in the direction of the back of the bus at a surprisingly cheerful Himiko chatting with the Ultimate Artist.

“You think? Well... Thanks for giving me advice, but I’m not sure... You know what? You’re right! I’ll give her some space. I won’t go anywhere near her until the school trip starts. _Only then_ will I make up for the lost time and enjoy our trip to the fullest!” Tenko answered with a mischievous grin.

“ _This girl is hopeless... I have to say I admire her calm in this situation, though... Enjoy... I suppose being nervous is futile... I just have to calm down and... enjoy. Maybe Shuichi will muster up some courage and approach me for a change, I’m getting kinda sick of taking the first step every time. Only 3 classes have been kidnapped so far. And the last one was almost 5 months ago. And none of them disappeared on a bus or on a school trip. Just – calm down, Kaede_.” she sighed mentally as she adopted the same copping mechanism as her classmates.

Pretending everything was fine. Excitement and joy were everything her body felt emanating from her friends.

She looked over her shoulder at Rantaro and Kiyo and they were surprisingly hitting it off. Probably conversing about the trips they made around the world. Kaito and Shuichi were together enthusiastically attempting to interact with a dismissive Maki, who only seemed to be interested in sleeping. Her efforts were in vain after Kokichi itched her nose with a feather, had Kirumi not have quickly intervened and scratched her nose, she would have strangled the Ultimate Supreme Leader’s tiny neck.

But she knew better. They were all obviously scared of the truth. The truth of their possible imminent demise.

* * *

“Wow! Chiaki, you are really good at this. I wish I was as talented as you...” Hajime Hinata complimented the girl who played on her «GameGirl» in the seat in front of his, smiling in order to masquerade his inferiority complex. The Ultimate Gamer knew him far too well, however. She noticed.

“This is nothing, really! Here, try it out.” she offered her favourite hobby in order to cheer him up.

“You’re too nice, Chiaki.” he answered as he accepted her offer. But then again, it seemed like she was more interested in slumbering for a while.

“Way to go, Hajime! She’ll be into you in no time if you keep that up! I’m glad you took my advice.” Kazuichi Soda jokingly bragged quietly. But truthfully, had Hajime heeded the Ultimate Mechanic’s ‘love advice’, he would have been beaten up by Chiaki a long time ago.

“Yeaaah – no.  But you know, you’ve been acting like a love master for while now and I haven’t seen you put any of your knowledge to use with Sonia.” the slender boy with an ahoge teased in order to lighten the tense mood. He could tell his class was nervous, but they were all pushing their stress to the back of their heads.

“Oh, that? I’m just giving her some space, that’s all. Chicks hate it when you smother them, you know?” the sharp teethed young man jested.

Both boys gazed at Sonia’s direction and she seemed to be acting pretty friendlily, almost flirting with Gundham, who was adjacent to her.

“I mean... Clearly, Gundham has been giving her space... That’s why _it looks like_ they’re having fun together...” the pink haired teen further lied to himself. “Well, let’s just focus on more important things: As you know, we’re going to the beach. That means: SWIMSUITS!! I can’t wait to see Miss Sonia in one. How about you? I know how much of a horn ball you are, Hajime. I bet you’ll have to excuse yourself to the bathroom once you see Chiaki in a bikini.” he provoked.

“Oh, _I’m_ the horn ball?” he laughed. “No... All I’m looking forward is... That we all have fun... That there’s nothing to worry about, understand?” he took a far more serious, deep tone.

“Still thinking about that...?” he asked suddenly disheartened. “To be honest, I’m scared too. I bet I won’t be able to relax in this trip either, but... Let’s have some hope, okay? Plus, that psycho Nagito is here. The guy has the most insane bullshit luck ever. As long as he’s around, we won’t be targeted, let alone kidnapped. With so many talented people in here, that won’t happen.” Kazuichi soothed confidently.

The young man from the reserve course inspected the bus and, like Kazuichi mentioned, was filled with the most amazing, talented high school students he had ever laid eyes upon. Nekumaru’s deep loud voice harmonized with Ibuki’s skilful song that reverberated across the vehicle. Mahiru snapped pictures incessantly with her friends. They all looked as though they had no care in the world. Why would they? They had talent. They had all they needed to succeed. They had all they needed to have hope.

“ _Talent._..”  he melancholically contemplated.

* * *

“Listen, dear students! I am pleased to announce that we are almost at our destination. Prepare to have fun, everyone! You have to enjoy your youth while you have it, this is the time when you must create bonds that will create character and help you grow into the adults that will give hope to the world!” Chisa Yukizome cheerfully preached to her class, through the bus’ speaker.

Her announcement woke a peaceful, slumbering Makoto up. The relaxing vibrations of their transportation simply made it too hard to remain awake.

“Oh! Makoto, you finally woke up? Nice - hey, you _have_ to check this out.” the Ultimate Swimmer excitedly squealed from a seat ahead of him. “Sakura, do it again!”

“Very well. Observe, Naegi.” the Ultimate Martial Artist, who required 2 seats due to her massive frame, subtly smiled and grabbed a handful of walnuts from Aoi’s extensive food sack, and effortlessly closed her hand. When she reopened it, all that was left in her palm was a pile of walnut-color dust. There were also no wounds on her gigantic hand, and she didn’t display any sign of pain either.

“Gah! It looks like I’m living in a rule 63 alternate universe with Saitama!” Hifumi Yamada shrieked in disbelief, leaving everyone confused about what his strange Otaku rambling meant.

“Wow! That is amazing...!” Naegi tried his very best to feign enthusiasm in his morbid tone.

“Huh? You okay, Makoto? Sakura’s trick usually leaves everyone in awe, but you seem like you’re about to burst into tears...” Aoi Asahina inquired concerned, reaching back a friendly arm and softly caressing his friend.

“Lethargy is not welcome in a school environment! As hard working students, we must take every opportunity to better ourselves.” Kiyotaka Ishimaru barked one of his memorized mottos, but mostly for the sake of maintaining order, he hardly noticed Makoto was evidently disheartened.

 “We ain’t in school, ya dumbass.” Mondo Owada hissed annoyed, inciting yet another heated argument with the Ultimate Moral Compass.

“Well… to tell you the truth… I was very excited for our school trip, but then I recalled all those classes that went through Killing Games and… I just feel so bad for them… Do you imagine having the best time of your lives with the best people you have ever met, people who you’ll have to say goodbye in a few months, and then being forced to kill and die? Just thinking about that makes me sick. Who’s mad enough to organize such things anyway?” the Ultimate Lucky Student set free the burden in his heart.

“Who indeed. But, like, worrying about that crap is, like – what’s the word? – futile, or whatever. Unless there was a team of like, I dunno, a billion detectives like Kyoko, it’s impossible to figure that crap out anyway, so I wouldn’t stress if I were you, it gives you wrinkles.” Junko Enoshima tranquilized with her valley girl accent as she stroked her highly preserved, wrinkle-free face, the Ultimate Sleuth completely ignored her and kept writing on her journal half-asleep. “Right, sis?” she yapped with her high pitched voice to her timid twin.

“Uhm…? Oh yeah, of course…” the Ultimate Soldier answered meekly.

“Yeah! Plus, you’re the Ultimate Lucky Student, Makoto, meaning you’ll be just fine.” Aoi soothed friendlily.

“I can confirm that. I have used my crystal ball to determine our fates, and concluded that we won’t be kidnapped. And don’t forget that I have a very accurate success rate of 33%.” the Ultimate Clairvoyant confidently boasted.

“But that means we have a 66% of getting kidnapped!” Naegi whined dispirited. “But I guess… I guess I still have hope to lean on… Fine, I’ll drop the sour mood.” he genuinely smiled and decided to have fun with his friends, who in turn were instantly infected by his delightful, characteristic optimism.

“ _I'm going to keep moving forward, with hope in my heart. After all, being optimistic is the only thing I’ve got going for me. I may be the worst of the best, but at least I can pride myself in carrying the burden of hope for my friends, so we can all overcome despair together.”_ he thought serenely.

Shortly after resuming trivial chatter with his friends, he heard a light weight colliding with the floor. He quickly turned his head to inspect what it was, and noticed that Celestia Ludenberg, who was previously gambling large sums of money with Byakuya, had dropped her deck of cards and seemed to have passed out.

He didn’t have time to worry about her, however. He was suddenly feeling extremely light headed himself, and as his vision grew blurrier and his eyelids grew heavier, he faintly noted that everyone who was present in that bus was letting their muscles rest as well. With the last bit of strength he had, he forced his drowsy legs to get up, but immediately stepped on a book that Toko had dropped and fell to floor completely asleep.

After Hifumi fainted, Sakura was the last person standing. However, as she collapsed and her consciousness drifted away, her muscular ears slightly detected what appeared to be footsteps…

* * *

There was a fleeting moment when Kaede Akamatsu felt whole again, only to drift back to sleep briefly. Nevertheless, her consciousness started dilating progressively until she felt the discomfort from her curved spine and the pain in her face as if she was bent with her face against a desk. When she was alert again, she realized that that was exactly the case. Then her eyelids, that were drooping and leaden with sleep snapped open as violently as if she'd been woken by the raid of sirens wailing.

Someone as clever as her had a pretty good idea of what was going on, and she was scared of being right.

She inspected the chair she was sitting on, the desk she was leaning on and her entire surroundings. It looked like a classroom. A very cheap, dirty, poorly kept classroom, that hadn’t been used in years. It was very wide, though. Wide enough to house 3 entire classes.

She realized that she was one of the last students in that room to wake up. Additionally, she recognized all of the faces in there: They were students from her own class, 78-A, and also class 78-B and 78-C (each class containing 16 students). There were only enough chairs for about a third of them, the ones who weren’t sitting on one had to settle with the floor. Including their respective teachers, there were 51 people in there.

However, there was another peculiar entity in that class. One she had never laid her eyes upon. _It_ was in front of the chalkboard, facing the waking humans.

It was some king of weird, 65 cm tall, stuffed bear, it’s whole face and body were divided by the center into two parts, resembling the Yin-Yang symbol, of which there is a balance between good and evil. Its right side is white and has the classic expression of teddy bear; While its left side shows a more sinister appearance. It is black, has a red horizontal stripe for an eye and an evil smile.

“Hey, have we got everyone? In that case, let’s get started.” the strange bear announced whimsically, leaving everyone present in utter panic.

“Oh my Gosh! Like, what the hell is happening, like, right now?” the Ultimate Fashionista shrieked with her usual valley girl accent.

“Worry not, sister. I will protect you.” Mukuro Ikusaba asserted ferociously as she stood protectively in front of her twin, while everyone else screamed undecipherable things above each other.

They all ran to the door, but it was tightly shut. Not even the phenomenal combined strength of Sakura, Nekomaru and Gonta seemed to yield any results. The windows also appeared to be bulletproof, as if they were merely decorations on the wall.

“Hey, come on now, you guys. Don’t leave a bear hanging. At least let me finish.” the weird teddy bear giggled.

“What is going on here? Is that a stuffed bear?” the Ultimate Photographer voiced what everyone was thinking, completely horrified.

“I’m no stuffed bear! I’m Monokuma. And I’m the headmaster here! That’s right, I’m _your_ headmaster! I own all of you, bitches!” the seemingly robotic animal proclaimed joyfully.

Never in her life has she been so intently focused on anything as she was in that moment. And it was obvious that all the others felt the same.

“Nice to meetcha!” it squealed.

“Ngaaaaaaaaaaah! The teddy bear, it speeeeeeeaks!” Hifumi wailed frightened.

“It appears to be some sort of autonomous robot with built-in A.I., like me…” the Ultimate Robot tried to remain calm.

 The discomfort she had been feeling quickly mutated into a bottomless terror.

“Ahem, now that I have made my dashing appearance, the first thing I need to say is: This is so friggin’ lame! Lame, I say! Lamer than the lamest lamesauce!” it hollered livid. “Oh wait. Lamesauce? Is that tasty?  Ooooh, oh yeah baby, rub it all over my naked body!” it teased seemingly hungry and aroused, while stroking itself flirtatiously.

“Ngaaaaaaaaaaah! The teddy bear, it moooooooooves!” Hifumi howled again.

“Aw shaddup, you bitch! I’m livid, you know. Seriously, where’s all the despair? This is boring as fuck! I’m bored! I’m so hopelessly bored! This just ain’t fun at all! You’ve gotta, you know… meet the demands of the world. Nobody wants to see high school students living calm, peaceful lives. What everyone wants to see is other people’s misery… and despair…”

“Wh-what the hell is with this stuffed animal…?! Nothing he’s saying makes any goddamned sense…! I’m gonna punch him in his little nuts!”  Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu threatened, although he was visibly scared. All bark and no bite.

“Are you… gonna force us… to do stuff…?” Tsumugi Shirogane stuttered startled, rubbing her forearms as if rubbing her shrugged frame somehow eased the stress.

“Puhuhuhu! You bet I will! Like I said, I’m gonna make sure things remain interesting in here, ya dig? “ Monokuma send off a ridiculous, yet creepy laugh.

“Oooooh! Are you gonna make us do each other’s hair and nails and then make us play truth or dare where we’ll all make out with each other while you take pictures with Mahiru’s camera?!” Kokichi asked excitedly as if there was nothing to worry about.

“Close! I’m gonna make you…-”

“Participate in a Killing Game, correct?” Kyoko finished emotionlessly.

“First of all, bingo! Second of all, don’t you ever interrupt me again! You sluts are mine! I hold the power of life and death over each and every one of you, so I advise you to not get on my bad side, unless you wanna know what it feels like to be Swiss cheese.” Monokuma menaced furiously, displaying one sharp claw. “Buuuut, since this is your first time and since I woke up in a really good mood today, I’ll let that one slide.”

“ _So it’s true, huh? Being hopeful is meaningless now… This is the worst case scenario_ …” she yelled in her mind as she fought the urge to vomit and as she felt stress burning her skin.

“So we have to do what you say if we don’t want to die? Got it. I assume you’ll give us the details of your twisted game now?” Rantaro deduced coldly, though aggressively.

“Holy crap! Aside from that fatty over there, you’re the smartest bunch I snagged to date! Weeeeell, I was gonna let you call your parents first, but hey, since you’re so eager to start the Killing Game, then by all means. Allrighty then, as you probably know by know, you are students of Hope’s Peak Academy, meaning you guys are the best of the best when it comes to talent… I mean, at least most of you…” he directed that last remark toward a shaking Hinata, who was too scared to get offended.

“…as a consequence, society expects you to spread that boring shit called hope, and maintain order, and blah blah blah, you know the drill. Well, since I have always been a rebellious kind of hipster bear, I’ll reward anyone who destroys that order. They, and they alone will be allowed to leave. And that’s graduation! Normally, someone would ask how do you graduate, and then I’d pause dramatically and mutter «Murder!» with a hoarse voice after enough suspense was built up. But since you fuckers are all a bunch of geniuses, then I’m sure you know that you have to murder in order to graduate. Man, the disadvantages of setting well-known Killing Games…” Monokuma continued light-heartedly.

She froze. As soon as her mind started processing the words, «Killing Game», «Murder»… a chill ran up her spine, from the soles of her feet to the top of her skull.

“This is no ordinary robot. I can see it… the despair and madness swirling around that cursed thing…” Korekiyo remarked disturbed.

“Hey, flattery ain’t gonna get you nowhere! Anyhow, the rules are simple: Kill to your hearts’ content. Kill or be killed! KILL, KILL, KILL, ‘TIL THERE’S NOTHING LEFT! Beating, stabbing, pounding, cutting, burning, crushing, strangling, slaughtering, hexing, freezing, drowning… The method doesn't matter. What really matters is that you can’t leave until all of your classmates are dead. The sole survivor gets to leave this place.” the robotic bear screeched in ecstasy.  

Maybe that was all a joke. Or maybe it was all true. That wasn’t the problem. No, what she really had to be concerned about was whether someone there took that seriously. In any case, those words left everyone speechless. In their silence, they traded suspicious, savage glances. Most of them had assumed fighting stances already. From gazes desperately struggling to see inside each other’s hearts… there emanated a tinge of animosity. And then… at that moment, she finally came to understand how truly terrifying that place’s rules were.

“And that takes us to our location, we’re isolated in a big ass uninhabited island. I made sure that contacting with the outside world is absolutely impossible too. But don’t worry, you can swim away if you want! I’m sure the local sharks will be delighted to have a snack with you! Speaking of which, each of you will receive a bag before the Killing Game starts, which will contain food, water, a flashlight and a random weapon. It can be dangerous like a machinegun, useful like a tracking device, or downright pathetic like a plastic hammer! So I’d start crossing my fingers if I were you. But hey, if you’re scared of kicking the bucket, then I advise you to stay in the island’s academy, where we are now. It provides plenty of hiding places, places to rest, as well as shelter from other dangers besides your enemies. However, the food and water in your bags won’t last forever. Not to worry though, I’ll be kind enough to drop supplies randomly throughout the island, meaning you’ll have to move if you wanna get your paws on them.” he continued his explanation.

“Stop this madness! I won’t let you harm my students!” Kazuo Tengan’s elderly voice echoed throughout the room.

“The fuck?!” Monokuma hissed.

“I know it might be hard for youngsters like you to understand, but when you're old and don't have much time left, like me... Hope is having young people who you can entrust the future to. I won’t let you disturb this brilliant children who will bring hope to the world. Your preposterousness ends here.” the old teacher quickly approached Monokuma, at the front of the room, and grabbed him.

The caring professor quickly scanned for a switch that would turn the damned thing off, or a loudspeaker that he could destroy, but found nothing of the sort. He became desperate when he noticed the robot bear also seemed too hard to be damaged.

“Holy shit! I must have drunk one too many martinis! I can’t believe I let an old fart catch me… Oh well, I needed something to prove I mean business anyway.” Monokuma mocked before slashing his attackers face with his white claw.

Kazuo fell hard. There was a teacher’s desk blocking Kaede’s view of her teacher, so she, along with all the other classmates chased after him so they can confirm his status.

When they looked behind the desk that was near Monokuma, they saw Kazuo lying on the floor with metal tweezers painfully binding his 4 members. The mechanisms that restrained him seemed to have rose from the floorboards. It was surreal how such sophisticated technology was hidden inside a terrible-looking class. They realized Monokuma really did mean business.

Just like with the doors and windows, setting him free was impossible, despite everyone’s attempts. Afterwards, an enormous, mean-looking mechanical saw came out of the chalkboard and mercilessly dismembered Kazuo by the waist, his screams echoing within the rooms and his remains splattered Mikan’s terrified face with his blood.

It took a while for Kaede to realize she was screaming, and even more to perceive the shower of dreaded screams that rang out behind her. The sight before her burned itself into her retinas.

“I guess sacrificial lambs really are necessary. Man, I love this trope. But hey, at least you guys get it now: I’m dead serious. Get on my bad side, and I’ll add your blood on my martinis, you dig?” Monokuma threatened viciously.

“W-Wait… The previous killing games… the rules are different from the ones you set. In order to escape, one would have to commit murder and get away with it, but now… We have to simply kill each other until only one survives? There are more competitors now as well… Why the sudden change of rules?” Kyoko fought repulse and tried to reason.

“Oh, that? Crap, I was expecting none of you would ask that… Well, you got me… Fine, I decided to throw some spice at the game, you know. Not a huge fan of formulas. Just checking how this would turn out, if it gets boring, then I’ll go back to same old same old.” he explained nonchalantly.

“Now, I’ll recapitulate the rules. Rule #1: You will all remain in this island indefinitely, the last living student will earn the right to go back home. Rule #2: I may speak with you personally, whenever I wish. However, I can’t interfere with anyone’s death, unless rule #3 is broken. Rule #3: Violence against me is strictly forbidden. Rule #4: I will report every death every day at 12:00. Rule #5: Boxes with supplies and ammunition will fall with parachutes 4 times per day, at random spots in the island. Break any of these and you’re fucked! Get it?” the teddy bear hollered furiously. “God, I need a martini…! Let’s just get this over with already, Kaede Akamatsu! You’re the first! Here’s your backpack, now fuck off and let the Killing Game begin!!!!” he threw a large backpack that had surged from the ground at her.

Her vision began to swirl… Her legs wobbled beneath her. But out of sheer desperation, she kept her mind working. She strongly gripped the backpack she had received; that contained water, food and a weapon; and shot like a bullet in the direction of the impenetrable door that had just opened.

She wasn't sure if the adrenaline rush she was feeling was due to her burning desire to find a way out, or if it was due to intense fear. Fear of being hunted down by her friends. Fear of giving in and killing a friend. She ran as fast as she could in order to prevent the next person to be called to catch her, not even bothering to say goodbye to her friends.

Only one thing was certain: The Killing Game had begun. Battle Royale had begun.


	2. Protection is the best gift you can give

_“I need to get out of here! I need to get out of here! I need to get out of here! I can’t die!”_ Hiyoko Saionji repeated these words like mantra mentally.

She remembered Monokuma advising the students who didn’t feel optimistic about their fighting chances to stay put in the academy. She desperately wanted to hide in a bathroom, lock it up and never leave it again.

However, there was a far safer option she was willing to risk. Not long before Monokuma called her to leave the classroom, Mahiru had departed herself. The image of looking up to her faucet-eyed best friend promising and wailing that everything would be okay would be burned in her memory for eternity.

She had to find Mahiru. The Ultimate Photographer had whispered in her ear before she left that she would take the left route the forest. And that’s where the Ultimate Traditional Dancer was heading. Perhaps it was for the best, there would be too many people who would choose to stay in the academy. Too many enemies to look out for.

_“You’re so smart, Mahiru… Had I followed my instincts, I’d probably be dead by now… Where are you? You said we’d stay together and survive this with each other. You promised everything would be okay… Please, Mahiru, I need you… Why aren’t you looking for me…?”_

She was quietly crawling in the silence of the night, in order to avoid merciless gazes; not very far from the initial classroom. Stress was spreading through her mind like ink on a paper so much that she was having an easier time mitigating the sound she made by creeping through the earthy, bushy ground than the sound of her sobbing.

_“Damn this stupid kimono! Why must it be so colorful…! I never liked it anyway…”_

She feared that her bright orange kimono would signal her whereabouts and end up getting her killed. A shame. Had it not been given to her by her treacherous mother, she would have loved it. Had it not been the root of her misery she would have felt nothing but passion for it.

_“Damn you mom, and damn your stupid mom too. It’s because of you losers that I turned out like this. It’s because of you idiots that I’m so weak. You 2 were subtle, but I’m not stupid like you! You pampered me and made everything for me, not because you loved me, that much was evident, but because you wanted me to stay dependent, by not learning how to take care of myself. If I kept relying on you, then I’d have no choice but to do what you wanted… Shitty stink piles…”_

As she crawled rather silently through the forest’s grass, the faint moonlight allowed her to spot a much better hiding place: It was a particularly thick tree surrounded by tall bushes, perfect for concealing her tiny body, especially considering it was nighttime. 

She was so ecstatic that she didn’t even consider the possibility of there being someone hiding in there as well. She simply charged at the attractive hiding place.

_“Perfect! Now I can see what’s in my backpack… On the other hand, Mahiru won’t be able to see me… Mahiru, you moron. Where the hell are you?”_

Entering the bushes was dangerously noisy and uncomfortable, but she had to be quick or else someone would see her. When she settled, she started slowly opening the zipper of her given backpack, as if the noise drained her life force. Hiyoko found 3 bottles of water, 3 plasticized sandwiches, a flashlight…

_“So far that asshole Monokuma hasn’t been lying… What’s this…? A pair of sewing scissors? Is this my weapon? What the fuck?! I’m one of the tiniest people in here! I totally deserved a gun or something! How am I supposed to defend myself with this! Why is everyone always screwing me up!”_

The scissors were sharp and rather long, they could pierce through flesh quite easily, but Hiyoko was just a small girl. Even with a decent weapon like that, her odds of surviving were very low and she knew this. Not only was she physically weak, she also lacked cunningness and initiative. She was about to burst into tears and cry for Mahiru, when she heard movement…

She peered through the bushes to check the source of the sound. The hands that removed the leaves out of her sight trembled so much that she was producing her own deal of noise.

She saw… a human figure. Judging by the massive bulk and size, they were obviously male. That or Sakura… She had to adjust her pupils to the intense darkness to make out who it was exactly. With some effort, she noticed the person was wearing a suit with some shade of brown and had long hair.

_“_ _Gonta_ _! It’s_ _Gonta_ _Gokuhara_ _!!_ _Oh no_ _! He’s one of the strongest guys in the academy! He arm wrestled with_ _Nekomaru_ _once and it was a draw!”_

His movements were strange, to say the least. He was walking upright, seemingly leisurely. And he sporadically stopped and looked around. It was hard to make out his facial expression in the darkness. Did he look scared like her? Did he look bloodthirsty? Desperate? Insane? Was his expression neutral? Could she trust him and ask to team up? Could she jump on him once he got close? Would he attack her?    

_“That failed abortion was raised in the wild. Raised by wolves. I heard he has superhuman vision and hearing. He probably knows I’m here already! But why won’t he attack me? Is he scared too? Why isn’t he scared? He’s strong... He has worth... I guess comfort breeds weakness. I’d rather be raised by wolves than by my stupid, selfish mother... Oh daddy, what I’d give to have been by your side... What I’d give for you to be here and protect me, like you used to. Like you protected me from my own retarded clan...”_

Gonta’s face turned toward her... His blackened face was pointed in her direction... He spotted her.

When she was about to wet her panties, she saw a rock flying behind him. It looked like someone threw it. His head shot to his opposite direction when he heard the rock colliding with the floor. He stood paralysed for a moment, not knowing what to do. After a few seconds of indecisiveness, he ran away.

_“Huh? Why is he running? Someone strong like him should be confident. Is it because his weapon is shitty? That can’t be the case, he can smash anyone’s skull with one hand. What a nasty_ _pigshit_ _. If I had his body, I’d slaughter everyone in here... Right? I mean, when you’re strong there’s nothing to fear, right? There’s no need to act tough when you’re actually not, right? I don’t know what I’d do... Can I even kill anyone? I want to get out of here, but... am I really capable of committing the lowest of the low?”_

“Hey! Over here!” she heard a nearby female voice calling.

_“Huh? Was that... Mahiru? I’m not sure if that was her voice... It must be somebody else. A girl... Should I form an alliance? Or should I try and kill her? I don’t know. I don’t know. I don’t know. I have to do something... If I stay here and cry I might get killed.”_

“Hiyoko Saionji? Is that you? Come here. He’s gone. It’s safe now.” she heard the ladylike voice call again.

She must act. She scanned the area and failed to detect any other sound. No movement either. Therefore, her little legs shot up and sprinted like she was running on a minefield. Once she approached the voice who summoned her, she noticed a tiny cave, formed under the roots of a large tree. However, she saw no one in there.

“Come hide here with me. Oh God, I’m so scared.” the girl in question pleaded inside the cave.

It was Celestia Ludenberg, the Ultimate Gambler. Her pitch black hair and clothes were a perfect camouflage in the nighttime. She could only see her contrasting porcelain skin.

“H-Hey... Don’t move, you bitchlet, or I’ll...” the Ultimate Traditional Dancer threatened, as she stuttered uncontrollably and trembled the hands that firmly held the sewing scissors as if she was in a fridge.

“Hey, come on now, let’s stay calm. There’s no need for that. I... I saved your life from Gonta. I could have very well let him kill you, but I didn’t, because I want to cooperate with you.” Celestia persuaded desperately, raising her hands in peace. “I know you don’t want to _that_. I know that you act all tough and brash all the time, but you don’t really mean it, do you?”

 It was like the red-eyed girl had read her mind. She longed for someone who would understand her. She longed for someone who she could trust. She started crying uncontrollably and her nose produced shameful quantities of mucus.

“How do I... How do I know you’re not playing the game and you’re just lying to me.” she whispered fervid, still pointing her weapon toward the girl who helped her.

“It’s okay... Here, I’ll put my weapon away.” she answered calmly yet clearly frightened, as she slowly took off a canister with pepper spray from her backpack and placed it one meter away from her. “Okay, now it’s your turn to prove your peacefulness.” the gambler nervously muttered, as she slowly closed the distance between their hands.

 She seriously considered slashing the other girl’s hands away with her weapon. But Celestia was a professional gambler, meaning her hands were extremely skilled, right? She might react quickly and counterattack. Nonetheless, as the other girl reached for her scissors, all she could so was cry even more and tremble more forcefully.

“There, let’s put this pointy thing away, okay?” the ebony haired girl gently removed her weapon and threw it near the pepper spray.

“You are... Celestia Ludenberg, right? From class 78-B?” she asked, still trying to calm herself.

“Yes... Hiyoko, do you want to form an alliance with me? This place is filled with the nastiest of people, who’ll kill us without thinking twice, like Byakyua Togami, for example, we should fear guys like him. We need to stick together. We need to keep our friends close if we want to survive.” Celestia responded, placing a pair of innocent hands on her chest.

“F-friends...” the very word send another wave of tears.

“Hey, it’s okay... I lost my friends too. But we can look for them together. We need the largest group we can possibly get. I... I assume you’re looking for... Mahiru, was it? I know you 2 are very close. Have you any idea where she went so we can go look for her together?” the gothic young woman inquired sweetly.

“She said... She said she’d take the left route to the forest but I didn’t find her. I know she wouldn’t abandon me either. She’s too kind and pure to just give in and play the Killing Game... Something must have happened. Maybe she saw Gonta or someone else and got scared... Oh Mahiru... I need to find her.”

“Yeah, let’s do that. But we should stay put for a while, Gonta might be still nearby, and we should let the others scatter around too. And.. And...” the Ultimate Gambler started crying erratically as she spoke. “I’m sorry... I’m such a crybaby... It’s just... I miss my dad so much...”

“R-Really? Me too!! I miss my daddy! I wanna go home!!” their cries and whimpers harmonized. Celestia tried to hug her, but she pulled away. She was still too sceptical of the girl she barely knew.

“Too soon? Sorry... So, um... Wanna talk about it while we wait until everything’s okay?”

It was hard for Hiyoko to explain, but for some reason, she felt like Celestia was the only person who understood her. She knew the Ultimate Gambler had quite the sour reputation, just like herself. But she probably only had a rough upbringing as well, right? But at that moment, all that she saw was a frightened girl, just like her. A frightened girl who puts on a tough, strong act, when in reality she’s perfectly aware of how feeble and insecure she was, just liker her. A frightened girl who missed her father dearly, just like her...

“Well, my stupid mom and her mom are from the Saionji clan. A clan where we have to uphold strict traditions regarding dancing. I was fine with carrying out the legacy, until they thought it’d be best if I moved to the clan full time so I would focus on it, meaning I had to say goodbye to my dad. He did everything for me, and then just like that I barely got to see him. He was the only one who cared... The only one who didn’t betray me.” she started opening her heart, as she opened the flood gates from her eyes. Maybe it was due to intense stress and imminent demise, but she needed to get that out of her burdened heart.

“That’s awful...” Celestia whined, as she placed a hand on her surprised mouth.

“I hated my mom. She was all pride and no talent. Only the clan mattered to her. She didn’t even care when I feared for my life. You see, my clan had plenty of rivals, so we were constantly stalked and sabotaged by jealous onlookers. I’ve woken up with dead mice scattered over my bed. I’ve been dropped on while performing. And what did that toilet-clogging bitch do about it? Nothing! She never gave a fuck!” Hiyoko yelled almost too loud.

“Yeah, I understand how you feel... Some people in my family acted like my only worth came from my gambling skills. They made me believe that my talent was the only valuable aspect of me. They pampered me, did everything for me; even when I asked them to teach me useful things, they refused. I know they did this so I would keep on relying on them-”

“So that you would remain dependent, and therefore, wouldn’t rebel!” she interrupted. “Oh my God! That’s exactly what my granny did with me! I wanted to do things on my own too, but they never taught me anything to keep me in my place. They didn’t even teach me how to tie my kimono, even though I ask them to teach me... but Mahiru was kind enough to do it.”

“That Mahiru girl sounds lovely... I’ve seen you guys together, and you seem quite overly attached to her. I bet you like her not only because she’s kind to you, but also because she helped you learn the basic things your clan didn’t teach you, which in turn made you more independent and consequently, more confident. Is that why you have the reputation of a bully? You want to appear fearless, when in reality, you’re quite insecure.”  Ludenberg hypothesized serenely, with detectable amounts of empathy on her voice.

She took some time to absorb what she had just heard, as she sniffed several times. Normally, she would deny her words and call her a nasty pigshit or something like that. But given her threatening situation, she stopped and self reflected for the first time in years. “Yeah... I guess you’re right... I wanted my dad to be there and protect me. He tried to stand by my side, but since he married into the family, he had no say in what I did in the clan. Since we were separated and he couldn’t protect me anymore, I had to come up with a way to protect myself...”

“With bullying? So you put on that sour mood to intimidate others, in order to make them fear doing anything to you, is that it? Yeah, I remember you were pretty cruel toward Mikan. Poor thing, she couldn’t harm a fly... You focused your bullying on a weak target so you would feel bigger...” Celes nailed one more theory.

“Y-Yeah... I guess... It wasn’t enough that I got stuck in this hellhole, throughout all me life, my misery was caused by having to take on the Saionji name and by the people and bullies who wish to harm me, because of it. My whole life I had to feel insecure and weak, fearing the real intentions of everyone I interact with.” the Ultimate Traditional Dancer gave rise to another wave of crying.

“I understand... Hiyoko, we have a lot in common. I feel like I can relate to everything you said... This is something that has been on my mind lately, and I was wondering if you agree with me: The worst feeling  one can experience, is feeling weak and unprotected. I think that protecting someone else is the greatest gift you can give.” the Ultimate Gambler preached emotionally with watery eyes.

“Have you read my mind?! That’s exactly what I think! That’s why I like Mahiru so much… And Mikan… Oh Mikan, I was so mean to her. I’ve called her a whore, a bitch, a slut, I never wasted an opportunity to talk shit about her, and she was always like an angel to me. I remember my first day in Hope’s Peak. I was so nervous and insecure… I had to go to the infirmary that day, and she was the person who treated me. I sensed how meek and insecure she was. She was so desperate for friends that she even accepted a bully like me. That’s when I became so confident, because I told myself I was better than her, a girl who cried for the smallest of reasons… No more… the first thing I’ll do when I see her is apologizing! I don’t need to belittle others to feel bigger… I just need protect others and be protected by them. That’s the only way to improve as a person!” she spoke with newly found resolve in her voice, she felt like she instantly became a whole new, better person.

“Exactly! Let’s go look for them together!” Celestia hugged her. She wasn’t scared anymore, because she felt like she could trust her. She could relate to that girl. And so she reciprocated the kind act. “Any idea where she might be?”

“Yeah! Let’s go! Mahiru took a picture of the classroom’s window with the high-tech camera she carries around her neck, and zoomed it, while Monokuma was talking. Apparently, he noticed, but was okay with that. She said she saw a safe-looking building that looked like an hotel in the zoomed picture, that should have been to the left side of these woods, and whispered in my ear that we’d go hide there with Ibuki and Mikan, before Monokuma called her. That’s where I was heading.” she sniffed.

“Oh, Hiyoko. That was all I wanted to hear.” the gambler whispered calmly, still embracing the blonde’s frame.

“I hope they got to the hotel safe by now… We’ll have to look out for enemies on the way. I don’t think I can trust anyone, aside from Mahiru, Ibuki and Mikan. The others might be playing the game.”

“Oh yes. I have no doubt most of them will.” Celestia agreed nonchalantly.

“That reminds me. How did you see me in the darkness?” she inquired curiously, as the raven haired girl stroked her blonde hair.

“I saw your bright orange kimono and recognized you right away… But if you ask me, you’d look way better in red.” Celestia flashed a heartless grin as she quickly reached out for the sewing scissors.

The Ultimate Traditional Dancer was the physically weakest competitor. Her miniscule, girly body could be effortlessly overpowered and outran by anyone, including Celestia. The former didn’t take advantage of this, though. She could have easily restrained Hiyoko by grabbing her hair and killed her right away, but that would be to easy. She wanted to hunt.

She let Saionji make a run for it for 5 seconds, and only then did she resolve to pursuit the blood she craved for. 

Unfortunately for Celestia, the hunt proved tediously easy. She was like a ferocious lioness chasing a wounded gazelle . When she caught up with the screaming blonde, she charged the bladed weapon into the side of her victim’s neck. The latter broke her attacker’s fall, as blood gushed out with an horrendous sound.

“Did you really believe my bullshit? You do realize that your life story is not a secret, right? I can’t believe I actually found someone retarded enough to believe a sob-story like that, right of the bat. Whatever, I got what I wanted. Now I know where 3 of my enemies are hiding. Thank you for that. I’ll make sure to tell them you doomed them right before I slash their throats.” Celestia sadistically informed as she moved the scissors from the side of her neck to the front, while enjoying every second of cutting skin and flesh.

Neither of them was sure how the hell was Hiyoko not dead yet. But at least one of them was glad that that was the case. The gambler dug the bladed weapon deeper inside the dancer’s windpipe, staining her huge hair extensions and the grass with a fresh puddle of blood. The life in Hiyoko’s eyes was fading.

“Thank you for your weapon, by the way. It’ll come real handy, more than my pepper spray... What were you thinking? That we’d all stay together and happily live side by side? Everyone helping everyone mutually?” she giggled darkly. “Not my scene. I’ll hunt down and strike all the miserable insects I smell. And if I am to die... THEN I’M GOING DOWN FIGHTING!!” she roared viciously as she violently removed the bloody scissors from the lifeless carotid artery, releasing a fountain of blood that gushed out crimson vital fluid.

If Celestia Ludenberg weren’t in such a hurry, she would have felt very tempted to bathe in her victims blood. But she didn’t have the time, she wanted to get out of that damn island.

“I was wrong. You look like shit in red.” she sighed casually. “Sorry, honey. But only one of us gets to walk way from here and that’s going to be me.” she asserted aggressively.

Afterward, she sneakily reclaimed her pepper spray, as well as her victim’s supplies, and proceeded to head off to the mentioned hotel, where at least 3 of her enemies waited to suffer the same fate as Hiyoko.

“I gotta get rid of these... They’ll get in the way.” she thought as she cut her gigantic, bloody hair extensions and her tight dress with the sewing scissors, before removing her golden earrings.

She abandoned those items in the bushy ground of the woods, as she proceeded her hunt, concealed by the darkness of the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first kill. So, was it too obvious that Celes would kill Hiyoko? XD
> 
> Anyway, I think it’s important to point out that Celes knew very well that Gonta was too pure to harm Hiyoko, even though he saw her, so she decided to take matters into her own hands, otherwise she would have let Gonta kill her and then she’d kill him. 
> 
> I’ll have to thank Weeby Newz. It was because of her analysis video of Saionji that I was capable of writting this chapter the way it is. I wanted to give a good character arc for Hiyoko, a majorly disliked character by the fandom, that would stay true to the canon original source. And it was thanks to Weeby that I pulled this off.


	3. Gentlemen and bullies

Mikan Tsumiki! It’s your turn to go! Here’s your backpack, now move those hams!” Monokuma threw the backpack at Mikan’s paralysed arms.

She just couldn’t believe what had just happened. The Ultimate Nurse was easily frightened. Not only was she put in a game where she has to kill her friends, but the blood that had splattered from professor Kazuo’s remains stained her terrified face.

No reaction. She simply stood there sobbing, crying and horrified.

“Yo, I’m about to call that horny Teruteru next. I’d start running to the door if I was you.” the robotic bear informed whimsically.

Purely driven by instinct, she picked up the fallen backpack and started sprinting. She had to act by instinct, because her mind was somewhere else. That traumatic sight dug up a memory she almost succeeded in burying. The crimson, lifeless fluid on her face forced her to recall a similar event...

_“C-Can you... P-please s-stop that... I-It h-hurts...” she whimpered as blood arose from the burn wound on her forearm._

_“I told you to shut the fuck up, bitch! Can’t you see I’m stressed out?!” the hairy fat man, who wore nothing but white boxers and socks yelled as he blew out another cloud of smoke against her face, causing her to cough._

_“The fuck was your name again?” he barked annoyed by her noisy reaction._

_“M-_ _Mikan_ _...”  she moaned._

_“Well,_ _Mikan_ _. You’re pretty fucking hot, you know? I mean you’re still a kid, but I bet when you grow up, you’ll be a much better whore than your_ _cocksucking_ _mom.” he burnt his cigarette on her face. “Such a sexy face you have there...” he grunted as he rubbed the burn wounds he had just caused, attracting the flow of blood to the surface._

_No reaction. She simply stood there, sobbing, crying and horrified. Taking in all the pain._

_“You have a pretty sexy body for your age too. Once you’ve matured a little more, I might come and give that nice little face a kiss. If I was your mother, I’d get rid of you fast, ‘cause you’re gonna be tough competition for her, that’s for sure.” he laughed, almost swallowing the cigarette he had._

_“_ _Wh_ _-What...? M-Mommy...” she burst into tears at the thought of the woman who left her alone with the_ _pervy_ _old man._

_“Yeah, mommy might smother you with a pillow any night. I’d sleep with one eye open if I was you. That or I’d burn my face so I’d stay uglier than her. You should totally stab her in her sleep if you wanna live.” he mocked again. Having a great time torturing a little girl._

_“M-Mommy...!!” she cried._

_“I said, SHUT THE FUCK UP!!” he slapped her with all his might for speaking too loud._

_She flew across the room, but didn’t have the will to get up._

_“Anyway, here’s the cash I owe your mom.” he placed 3000 yen on the counter next to the exit door, before leaving. “Oh, but I’ll take  1000, ‘cause her breath smelled like shit and her pussy was hairier than my ass.”_

_Still in the exact same position she had after being slapped,_ _Mikan_ _lied on her stomach, as blood and tears mixed together. She wondered what was the biological reason for the liquid that cascaded down her eyes so often. Did it have healing properties? Maybe they were there to heal her face..._

But at that moment, an experienced nurse like her wouldn’t be swayed by preposterous fantasies. All she could do was run. The only one who wouldn’t bully her was herself. All she could trust was herself.

She had a vague memory of Mahiru mentioning something about an hotel in the left side of the forest, but she wasn’t really paying attention when the Ultimate Photographer whispered that in her ear. She was still in trance... Because of the blood... The blood...

_I have to get out of here!!! The bullies are gonna go after me!!_

She ran aimlessly in the dead of the night.

_I’m too slow and weak to escape from bullies! I should know that by now... Think,_ _Mikan_ _, think! How do I make bullies stop being mean to me? I know that if I show my panties to the boys, they’ll stop hitting me or asking me to strip. Their frowns instantly turn into smiles and then they hug me... And touch me... But will that work here as well? The circumstances are different, there are girls here and the boys are scared..._

Growing up, the only attention Mikan received was from bullies. While her absent mom went to her job, she either cried of solitude or cried of suffering. However, the suffering became increasingly more normal to her, while her hatred for solitude grew, because when she was bullied, she received attention. Her concept of abuse was corrupted. For her, abuse was like love.

There was a secret Mikan would never reveal. She was naturally very clumsy, but what no one knew was  that most of her falls were intentional. When she feels ignored – When she feels unloved, she resorts to unorthodox methods to be in the spotlight: By putting herself in compromising positions for the pleasure of boys.

A she ran, she tripped on a loose rock and fell. But this fall was one of the few accidental ones. The impact with the ground was harsh. It took a while for her to recover from the pain she was so familiar with and think about getting up once more. There were times when she fell, but simply lacked the will to get up, but in that situation, she had to keep moving.

“Mikan! Are you okay?” she heard a familiar male voice call out for her.

Pure panic was all she felt. Whoever that boy was, he was gonna bully her. Instinctively, she opened the zipper on the backpack she had and inspected it with her hand. She felt a few plastic cylinders, probably plastic waters, and something sharp. That was her weapon.

“Hold on, I’ll help you get up.” a tiny boy with a shield on his hand and a chef’s hat approached her preoccupied.

_Huh! That’s..._ _Teruteru_ _! He’s the biggest_ _perv_ _in the class! He never talks to me! He only looks at me when my panties are showing or when he’s horny! Why is that... Why is that motherfucker always ignoring me? Is he... Is he a bully too? Is he gonna batter me with that shield?_

The Ultimate Cook put his shield on the ground and held her arms to try and help her up. But Mikan didn’t think such act was that selfless...

_“You make a good pig impression there, kid... And I feel like eating some pork now.” another one of her mom’s dirty clients grinned mischievously, as he rubbed his hands over her underdeveloped legs._

_“_ _Gah_ _...! Get off of me. Get off of me. Get off of me.” the young_ _Mikan_ _repeated like mantra in her head, as she allowed the corrupt touch with cascading eyes._

_“Hey! Hands off my daughter! She’s a virgin. That’ll cost you triple and you don’t have the cash!” her mother, who was previously counting the money she had just received, intervened with a roar and a baseball bat on her clients head._

“Get off of me!” she roared as she viciously pulled out the unknown sharp weapon from her backpack and swung it at Teruteru, before knowing what it was.

He dodged the assault just in time to only receive a minor cut on his cheek.

A kama sickle. That was her weapon.

She jolted up and started waving her sickle at him.

“Hey, stop! I’m trying to help you! Mikan, we don’t have to play the game!” Teruteru pleaded as he blocked her assault with his shield.

She was no longer herself. All the logical reasoning had abandoned her mind and was replaced by sheer instinct and despair. She had to protect herself from bullies.

The feeble cook had no choice but to flee into the forest. Succumbed by adrenaline, she gave chase. However, her slender legs could only do so much. When it got to the point where she lost sight of him in the middle of leaves and vines, she tripped once again on a root.

She knocked her head on a tree trunk as she fell, causing her consciousness to drift away slowly.

_“What got into me? I-I wasn't acting like myself... Why did I remember all that all of a sudden? Was it because of professor’s blood on my face... I-I acted like a bully..._ _Teruteru_ _will never forgive me...”_ she pondered confused before passing out on the grass with sickle in hand.

* * *

 

Shuichi Saihara was exhausted. He had far surpassed his personal record of most calories burned in 10 minutes, by running alone. Even when his muscles screamed for him to stop, he continued until it was biologically impossible for him to sprint any farther.

Had his situation be less dire, and had his mind not have been storming with logical explanations like the natural-born detective he was, Shuichi would have thought something in the lines of: “ _Looks like all the training with Kaito finally paid off.”_

After Monokuma called him to leave, he sprinted to the right side. He thought he was safe after taking cover behind a huge statue  of a strange beast, so he took the chance to check what his weapon was. Apparently, his luck wasn’t so bad: He received an easily portable gun, along with an instruction manual titled «How to wield a  Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol» and a box of bullets.

However, his lucky streak didn’t prove quite so absurd like Nagito’s and Makoto’s. The second he laid eyes on his gun, he heard the merciless sound of a gunshot exactly in the moment he felt a bullet graze the skin of his hairless chin, piercing the giant statue instead.

He barely got a good look of his attacker, but he thought he saw... a figure with a glasses? So... Byakyua, Toko, Peko, Tsumugi or Gonta...

Whoever they were, they quit after 3 bullets wasted. And because of that, the Ultimate Detective found himself inside what looked like a deserted airport, completely fatigued.

“Thank God... I almost got killed...” Shuichi spoke to himself as he struggled to catch his breath.

“Did somebody say «killed»? That’s like, my second favourite word.” Monokuma, who had appeared out of nowhere at the entrance of the airport, scared him.

“Ah! Y-You!” he screamed dangerously loud.

“’Sup!? Enjoying the Killing Game like me? Your use of the word «killed» suggests so.” Monokuma asked light-heartedly.

Silence. Shuichi was too scared to speak.

“As a great philosopher once said, I shall assume you silence gives consent. Anyway, why didn’t you fight back with your gun? Drank too many martinis? I mean my aim kinda sucks when I’m drunk too, but it takes practice. Come on, man, go outside and make the audience happy!” Monokuma encouraged.

“You... You mentioned an audience before... A-Are we being watched?” he was almost too frightened to ask his most present question.

“Ooh, beats me. But I’m pretty curious about that too. If was in your shoes, I’d kill every motherfucker I saw just so I could escape and find out.” the stuffed bear joked darkly.

“B-But what is your audience?... I’ve been investigating these previous Killing Games and I didn’t discover anyone who could have possibly fund you, or support you. So why? What is the purpose of this? And why are the rules from this game different from the previous ones?” the detective inquired desperate.

“Oh, I’m sure you and that purple emo will figure that out, assuming she hasn’t kicked the bucket already. You’re the Ultimate Detectives, right?” the bear giggled carefree.

“There’s another thing that’s been bothering me... The rules you set... The second one... If I recall correctly, you said «I may speak with you personally, whenever I wish. However, I can’t interfere with anyone’s death, unless rule #3 is broken.» Does that mean I’m safe for now? Since you can’t interfere with anyone’s death, the fact that you’re talking to me proves that there aren’t any students nearby. But that also proves that you’re keeping watch of the entire island, so there has to be an ample team supporting you as well…” he theorized.

“Puhuhu… I suppose that if I distracted you with my chatter, I’d be helping out anyone who would try to cut both of your antennas. So yeah. You might be right about that.”  he yielded casually.

“I knew it. So every time you talk to one of us, we can know for sure that we are not in danger. If that’s the case, then I assume there’s no one in this airport... And I also assume that the airplanes are not operational. Otherwise, it would be far too easy to escape, which would be too boring for your supposed audience. I saw the name of this place on the statue where I was attacked... It’s Jabberwock Island, right?” he questioned nervously.

“Holy crap! You’re figuring stuff out way slower than I expected! Are those all the conclusions you reached?! God, I hope the purple emo is sharper than you loser... Ugh... fine!” he sighed bored. “ I suppose if I push myself to the brink of despair, things are gonna get more interesting! Okay, clean the wax out of yer ears, ‘cause I’m gonna give you some juicy details. What would you do if you were masterminding delightful Killing Games, and then find out that there were 2 Ultimate Detectives on yer tail?”

“Y-You... Selected us... Because you found out me and Kyoko were investigating you?! Th-Then... Were we close to reach the truth?” he gasped.

“What do I know? I’m just a handsome bear! But since you 2 were so sneaky about it, I _suppose_ only someone pretty close to you would realize what you were investigating, don’t ya think? And if that somebody ratted you out, then that must mean they’re on my side.”

“That person or persons had to be very powerful and influential in order to be on the side of professional, organized criminals...” he hypothesised, holding his grazed chin with his index finger and thumb.

“Ring any bells?”

“Sonia Nevermind... Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu... or Byakya Togami...” he mused, staring vacantly at the black and white bear as he searched for valid motives in his head for each of the people he mentioned, but found none.

“I guess I’ve planted enough despair for myself. Now it’s your turn to feel it! Lates!” Monokuma waved and fell on a newly opened trap door.

_Interesting... Now I know that whenever Monokuma is around, I’m safe... That means I have to hide. Now! He also hinted that me and Kyoko were close to reach the truth. We were investigating_ _Rantaro’s_ _connections with the previous Killing Game when we went to our school trip... Is Rantaro connected with Monokuma? Is he responsible for this? He did seem pretty calm throughout Monokuma’s explanation of the rules... Why are the rules different too? None of this is making any sense! I have to find Kyoko and tell her what I learned. She’s a lot better detective than me..._

* * *

 

Mikan was starting to wake up. As her vision became progressively less blurry, she started feeling the intense pain on her forehead.

The Ultimate Nurse sat upright and spread her sore legs as she scanned her whereabouts confused. She was certain that she was in a different location from where she passed out. The morning sun revealed that the forest she was in had a more tropical look. It was sandy, had a large abundance of palm trees and she thought she could hear waves.

Her given backpack was also next to her. Frightened, she inspected its content, fearing theft, and was pleasantly surprised to see that nothing had disappeared, not even her sickle.

_S-Someone brought me here...! B-But who...?_ _It couldn’t have been_ _a bully_ _..._

As Mikan scanned her surroundings, she noticed a massive, ghastly human figure behind her. (Though pretty much everything is ghastly for Mikan).

“Hello.” the male in question spoke softly as he covered his eyes and his intense blushing with his hands.

“AAAHHHHH!!!!!!” she screamed in panic as she gripped her sickle and prepared to attack.

“Wait! Gonta no hurt Mikan! Gonta gentleman!” he assured nervously as he approached her and held her slender shoulders with his giant hands.

But he still avoided eye contact with her. Instead, his blushed face stared into a random spot to his left.

“G-Gonta...” she whimpered. She had thousands of questions to ask, but that was the only word that left her terrified mouth.

_Why is he blushing? Why isn’t he looking at me? Is he ignoring me on purpose?_

“Wh-Why... a-are... y-you covering your eyes?” she wailed on the verge of tears.

“Sorry, Gonta no can look at girl places, because Gonta gentleman.” he answered flustered, blocking his vision with his palms.

She was still so dizzy that she hadn’t realized that she was in an embarrassing position. Her legs were spread apart, offering a shameful view of her underwear.

“I’m so sorry!! Forgive me! Please, forgive me! I’m sorry for tainting your eyes with my disgusting body!” she wept as she closed her legs and bowed for him.

“Is okay! Is Gonta’s fault! Mikan do nothing wrong!” he comforted as he stared intently into her eyes.

_That’s weird..._ _B_ _oys usually get all rowdy and bold when they see my panties. Why is he acting so innocently? Not only that, he helped me. Probably even saved my life... He’s not a bully! He’s a gentleman!_

“Thank you! Thank you so much, Gonta! I didn’t deserve what you did for me! I’ll do absolutely whatever you want in return!” she sat in seiza and bowed, placing her forehead on the sandy ground.

“No need to thank! Gonta want to bring all friends together and protect them. Gonta no want killing. Gonta do anything to stop Killing Game!” he babbled optimistic and helped the nurse up.

She wanted to give him a hug, but she thought she was too disgusting, so she stopped herself. Still, his unexpected, pure reaction send tears down her cheeks.

That’s when she realized the that blood on her face had vanished.

“Did you clean my face?”

“Yes. Gonta clean with palm tree leaf and sea water. Mikan okay? Mikan hurt?” he explained concerned.

“I’m fine. Forgive me for having trouble because of me! Thank you! Thank you so much! But... i-is it okay for you to be around someone like me? U-Um... Other than dying, I can pretty much do anything for you! Please order me around whenever you want!” she pleaded with her watery eyes closed.

“Relax!” Gonta was having a hard time understanding why she was reacting like that. He had never seen anyone acting remotely similarly. He didn't really know what to do. All he knew was that he wanted to make her feel better.

So he simply did something that always puts him at ease: he hugged her gently.

“Mikan no need do anything! Just stay safe while Gonta searches for friends to bring here.” he stroked her hair as he prepared to leave, with a stun gun in hand. Apparently, that was his weapon.

She stared in awe at the man who radiated a caring smile like an angel. She wanted to help him. She wanted to protect him. But she was scared of putting herself in vulnerable positions, where she might find bullies...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In this chapter, I added a bit of plot in Shuichi’s scene, that will be better explored next chapter. 
> 
> In case you didn’t remember, when Kazuo was killed with a mechanical saw in the first chapter, his blood splattered on Mikan’s face, which triggered her mental issues, but let’s hope our pure Gonta can fix that ^_^
> 
> In case you didn’t notice, Mikan is based on Mitsuko Souma. HOWEVER, she’s not just a carbon copy. Both characters are different, and I will treat them as such. Mikan has different morals than Mitsuko, among other things. I just drew parallels between them because their back stories are similar. 
> 
> Anyway, so far the only dead student is Hiyoko Saionji (killed by Celestia Ludenberg). 
> 
> Known weapons so far: 
> 
> Hiyoko – Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celes – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru – Shield  
> Mikan – Sickle  
> Gonta – Stun Gun  
> Shuichi - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol  
> Unknown student with glasses – Unknown gun


	4. Fantasy and Delusion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Known weapons so far:  
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield  
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle  
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun  
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol
> 
> Deaths:  
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors

_“K-Killing game…?! This is preposterous! Nonsensical! Having to fight one’s friends to the death until only one survives sure sounds like a wacky set up for a hentai, but this is real life! This must be fiction of some sort! Yeah, that’s it, just some cruel, absurd form of entertainment someone invented… The real world may often be boring and cruel, but it can’t be THIS bad. Something like a Killing Game would only happen in the superior 2D world…”_ Hifumi Yamada calmed his unhealthy heart with pleasant lies.

However, he was painfully aware that the tragedy he was forcefully plunged into was the cold, hard truth. No longer would he take refuge inside the artistic fantasies he created so skillfully. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator would have to face the real word that he despised so much.

_You must stay calm and composed, Mr. Yamada, just like Levi Ackerman! If this isn’t just a cruel prank, which I highly doubt, then at least you won’t let anyone hurt you if you’re like him! That’s right… Everything will be just fine…_

Hifumi had always been a very eccentric and devoted lover of his fanfictions; in fact, talking so much about his talent was one of the reasons why other people had never really took any interest in talking to him; but he wasn’t stupid. He couldn’t deny the obvious anymore: He was thrown into a Killing Game – He was thrown into Hell.

The evidence of this? He saw professor Kazuo being dismembered with a saw before his strained eyes. The blood and gore were very much real, just like the horror in Mikan’s face as his blood splattered on her. A horror he could perfectly empathize with.

Additionally, the sophisticated crossbow and the case of bolts he had on his backpack were further evidence that the crazy teddy bear meant business. He was actually expected to kill the other students – his friends.

_Are they really my friends, though? None of them appreciates the divine blessing that is the Otaku world. They’re all just a sad bunch of normies who’ll never catch a glimpse of what true entertainment looks like… And I know that they don’t like me… I know that they make fun of me… I can’t say I blame them, but… unlike me, they’re all acquainted with the real world… And these are the reasons why… why they’ll hunt me down like a pig! I can’t do this…! I can hardly run for 10 seconds straight! That pack of immoral, disrespectful low-lives will slaughter me without thinking twice!_

His fat legs ran and ran around a small but thick forest area near the starting classroom. He decided to avoid it in order to evade conflict, as the vegetation would surely have plenty of hideaways for his frie… enemies.

Nonetheless, he still met some of the other students; his delicate blood-pumping organ nearly stopped when he saw Gonta’s feral features blackened by the night’s darkness, though the Ultimate Entomologist sighted him as well, he chose to ignore him. Then, as he paused for a bit to inspect his weapon and catch his breath, he could have sworn he saw Leon Kuwata running not far from him, but it didn’t seem like the athlete noticed him.

After hours of running and resting and more running, he decided to sit his huge body against a palm tree. As he observed that the island he was trapped in had an overall tropical look, he sighted a high quality looking-hotel with the words «Hotel Mirai» written on it, from afar.

He pondered for moment whether or nor he would enter it or continue running. That place would surely be concealing his blood-thirsty school mates, but he was too exhausted to walk much farther, so finding a better place to hide was out of the question too.

Almost as if on cue, he watched Mahiru and Ibuki franticly sprinting towards the hotel as they held hands.

_Sh-Should I… kill them? I bet this crossbow could land a bolt from this distance… I’ll most likely miss, but… They’d do the same for me, right? Ibuki is always acting friendly and positive. Mahiru is headstrong and caring… But surely in this situation they’d throw all that out of the window and wouldn’t hesitate to murder a fatty like me! Or maybe… that was all an act all along!! I have to do something… I can’t die here!  I don’t feel fulfilled yet, I haven’t even fulfilled my dream – To write something so inspirational that I will improve my readers’ life, make them have a change of heart and, who knows, inspire them to create art of their own…_

He wasn’t sure if he had any real friends. Sacrificing real social interaction in exchange with the idealized love from the fictional characters he wielded was something he very much welcomed.

Humans are innately liars. When they’re not lying, they’re berating, often with no apparent reason other than sheer childish sadism. Hifumi knows this better than anyone.

_“What the hell do you want?” the annoyed boy from his memories asked._

_“I uh… I was wondering if I could play with you…” Hifumi answered meekly._

_“… You do know that we’re playing soccer, right?” the other child questioned irritated after switching confused glances with his friend._

_“Uh... Yeah…?”_

_“And you do know that playing soccer requires physical effort, right?” the boy who held the ball questioned rudely, very much aware of Hifumi’s atrocious athletic prowess._

_“I do… So… is it okay for me to play with you?”_

_“Okay? It would be okay if you weren’t such a fatty slow-poke! Piss off, you sad loser, and come back when you’re in shape!” one of the mean kids spat with disgust._

_“What?! I’m in shape!” he countered tenaciously._

_“Of course you’re in shape… Round is a shape.” a boy joked cruelly, causing his group of friends to burst into laughter and young Hifumi to flinch in shame._

_“H-Hey! I-I’m not fat!!” he protested desperately as he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists._

_“Hifumi, you’re fat. Don’t sugar coat it, ‘cause you’ll it that too.”_

_“For your information, I have a kickass 6-pack! This shirt is just too large for me, I borrowed it from my dad!” he argued stressfully. He preferred living in a pleasant lie than facing the cold, hard truth about his weight problem._

_“Your 6-pack must be very precious to you then. Is that why you protect it with a huge layer of fat?” someone fueled the fit of laughter of the other kids and Hifumi’s sorrow._

_“O-Okay… I’m… a little chubby, but that’s only natural! Obesity runs in my family!” he tried finding some common ground in order to alleviate their disdain for him._

_“Obesity doesn’t run in your family, honey. No one runs in your family!”_

_“How dare you! I demand the same respect I give you all! Don’t you know how to act in a society?!” he objected headstrong. There was nothing he despised more than unlawfulness._

_“I’m sorry, did my our jokes offend you? Which one of your chins did we hurt?”_

_…_

_He returned home crying that day. He didn’t do anything wrong. Why were those kids so bad? Do all fat people have to go through that? That’s when he remembered… His sister, she was just as overweight as he was, but he didn’t recall anyone ever mistreating her… What was her secret?_

_“Fujiko, how come I never saw you cry? You’re always so cheerful… Aren’t there mean people around you?” he finally inquired his sister._

_“Oh Hifumi…_ _People like that will never stop existing, no matter how you look like and how you act like. Trust me, I know this… Out there, all you’ll find is cruelty and lies. Don’t bother conforming, they’ll just see you as a submissive doormat if you do. And I’m always happy, because I stopped caring about pretty much everyone. Find something you love, immerse yourself in it, and then you’ll be happy. In my case, I dedicated my life to literature and fanfiction. I do what I love, no one bothers me and I couldn’t be happier…” she explained sweetly._

_Her sister touched his heart deeply. Everything she said made sense._

_Since he also had a keen interest in reading, he decided to follow his sister’s footsteps – He started writing aimlessly with no exact plan in his mind. Only what made him happy._

_The product of his love was but a simple story about a muscular boy called Hifumi Yamada who was revered by all the mean kids who were bad to him. He was also worshipped like a God by the girls who laughed at him. Except these ones were cuter._

_As he grew older, his unrequited libido started conflating with his fantasies. He lived his sexuality, that he damn well knew would be neglected by any human being, through idealized, perfect 2-dimensional cartoons. This didn’t bother him, though. 3-dimensional women repulsed him, just like he repulsed them._

_“Hi…” he shyly approached a group of 4 girls from his class in his schoolyard, the day after the humiliating incident._

_“What?!” the tallest of them questioned impatiently, clearly not interest in talking to him._

_“It’s just… Yesterday I spent the whole day writing something and… I was hoping to find someone who could tell me what they thought, and… You know, talk… Or something?” he explained meekly._

_“Oh… Yeah! Sure!” she heeded joyfully, before trading mischievous giggles with her friends._

_“Really?! Thanks! Here you go…” he handed over the notebook where he wrote his masterpiece._

_The girls put the notebook on a table of the schoolyard’s grassy area and proceeded to leaf through the 50 pages-long story rather quickly together. It didn’t take 1 minute for them to turn the final page._

_“Oh. My. God. This was awesome!” the shortest girl exclaimed excitedly._

_“Seriously?! Thanks! That really means a lot… But… you read it pretty quickly… Did you understand everything?” he asked hopeful to make friends._

_“Yeah… Actually… we didn’t read that much. We were too disgusted by the smelly grease left by your hands.” the one with glasses spat aggressively, breaking Hifumi’s heart with one fell swoop._

_“Ewwwww!! You know what? I take it back, your story was SHIT! I bet those unwashed hands of yours have touched not only grease but your butthole too! Do you use your shit as a perfume? I mean, it certainly improves your natural scent…” the tiniest one mocked in between laughs as her friends cackled uncontrollably._

_“I bet he touched his weiner as he wrote this piece of trash too!” the girl who had been quiet joined the insult party._

_“How dare you, you daft dimbos!? Have I ever done anything to you?!” he stood his ground as he fought his tears with all his might._

_“Fuck yeah you did! Because of you, we tainted our eyes with this piece of shit! Speaking of which, this calls for a new nickname… What about – Shitumi Yuckada? After all you have plenty of similarities with poop. You’re both ugly, talentless, useless, stinky and probably disease infested.” the one with glasses hissed cruelly._

_“Don’t forget roundy and rich in fat!” the quiet girl added whimsically._

_“That too. I think it’s time to return the favor. Since you contaminated our eyesight with crap, we’ll contaminate yours with crap.” the lankiest threatened before clutching the opened notebook and throw it on nearby dog feces._

_“STOOOOOP!!!” he roared desperately._

_She then grabbed the top part of the notebook that remained clean and used it to safely pick up the excrement before flinging it at Hifumi’s face, dirtying him from his eyes to his philtrum with a gross shade of brown._

_“_ Ngaaaaaaaaaaah!”  he howled with his signature nerdy voice.

_“Tough, right? That’s how we felt.” they mocked as they had a good laugh together at his expense._

_He had enough. He was told time and time again that he should treat women with utmost respect, but the way one treats people is a statement about who they are as human beings. Those girls just proved that they were despicable scumbags and Hifumi wanted revenge._

_Out of sheer, animalistic impulse, he lunged his large, heavy body at the female who assaulted him, knocking her to the ground quite strongly. She reacted with an immature, offended scream as if she hadn’t done anything wrong. Her friends also acted like she was a wronged victim._

_He wasn’t really sure what to do with her next. He hadn’t thought that far ahead. But before another form of payback crossed his mind, the group of boys that humiliated him the day before appeared due to the shrill cries of those jealous bitches and submitted Hifumi to a beat down._

_Not really to avenge the girls. They just wanted a reason to beat him up._

_When the humiliation was finally over, he just wanted to go home and write his pain away. Creating beautiful fantasy worlds was his newest stress killer._

_“Uhm... Hifumi... Are you okay? Why are you crying?” a young Hiyoko Saionji, one of his classmates, moaned genuinely concerned about him._

_“Shut the hell up, you fucking bitch!” he yelled frustrated, causing her to flinch her tiny form._

Perhaps it was due to the overwhelming stress  caused by the Killing Game, but Hifumi found it extremely hard to dismiss this painful memory that had been burned in his mind. He never had any trouble in separating reality from fiction, so why did he recalled that all of a sudden?

In any case, because of his walk down memory lane, he missed his chance to shoot Mahiru and Ibuki. Before he knew it, they had already entered the hotel, and most likely tightened it shut.

_Wha-What got into me?! I was really gonna do it... I may hate society, but I always prided myself in following its rules. At least I recognise they are valuable. If only everyone thought the same... No one would suffer. I’d be a lot happier..._

The fact remained that he was exhausted and he couldn’t risk being out in the open. He’d be too much of an easy target, but then again, the hotel was most likely brimming with enemies, at least 2 of them, since it was a good hiding place and was near the starting classroom, so he decided to approach the smaller, wooden facility near the hotel in hopes of finding refuge. He knew there was a signboard there, but he could hardly tell what it said.

He carefully scanned the area... His weary eyes detected nothing. Therefore, he saw no choice but to recklessly make a run for it towards the distant destination.

Through sweat, pauses and gasps and puffs for air, he finally managed to reach... What? Halfway? Hotel Mirai couldn't be further than 65 meters (213 feet) from the palm tree where he started, but that was still a victory for Hifumi.

When he was on the verge of dropping from fatigue, he saw a dark figure very well concealed in the darkness of the night. It looked like Celes!

“Miss Ludenberg!” he shouted for her almost too loudly.

“Hm? Yamada?” she jolted instantly the moment she sensed another’s presence, like an experienced hunter wary of their prey.

“What happened to you? Did you get in a fight? Are you okay?” he questioned preoccupied. The tornado hair extensions that she treasured were gone and her cherished fancy clothes were torn to shreds, suggesting that she engaged in combat. Nevertheless, she displayed no signs of injury...

He would have avoided her had she been anyone else. However, he held a special affinity towards Celes...

_“Yamada, would you kindly make me a cup of tea?” the Ultimate Gambler sweetly asked as politely and elegantly as humanly possible in his memory._

_“Me?” he squealed astonished by the fact that he was being addressed so kindly by the 3D girl he found the most attractive._

_It... It all had to be a lie, right? Surely, she had an agenda. Every time someone was kind to him, they had an ulterior motive. Hifumi had gone through way too many harsh experiences in the life outside of his room to know that he shouldn’t believe a person, especially a woman, who was kind to him._ _So much so he would yell at them to leave whenever they attempted to talk to him and eventually started enjoying doing so._

_“Make that milk tea, if you would be so kind.” she added serenely as she laced her fingers together and placed her hands underneath her chin, that supported an angelical pure-white tilted expression._

_“Wh-Why me?” he inquired sceptically._

_“You bear the same plump form as the master of the café I used to frequent...” her sweet expression instantly vanished only to be replaced by a blank one that stared to her top left. He chose to ignore her ridiculous reason. “Do be quick about it please. I’m parched.” she urged with her innocent manner again._

_“I’m not very good at making tea, though...” he casually confessed._

_“I’m certain Hope’s Peak Academy’s kitchen will provide you everything you need to brew a sufficiently exquisite tea. Furthermore, surely Kirumi Tojo will me more than pleased to aid you if you need. Go on now.” she commanded with a smile._

_“A-All right...” he obeyed meekly._

_In all honesty, he wasn’t all that interested in acting like a slave. It’s just that he believed he was growing stagnant relatively to his artistic writing and drawings. The real people he valued the most were his online viewers and reviewers, and recently, his vast fan base had been criticising him about ridiculously unrealistic scenarios and his obvious lack of social interaction, that made the dialogues he created seem downright weird._

_Upon multiple suggestions to get out more and learn «how the real world works», as they put it, he decided to explore the world outside of his bedroom, to which he had closed his heart to. He hoped that by acting more extrovertly, he could get a better grip of realistic interaction to please his dear fans. Diversity of experiences would also bring originality to his stories and drawings._

_But the main reason why he took an interest toward Celestia was because... He wanted to fuck her. He’d much rather stay in his room masturbating to the fictional women he drew, but... Deep down, he craved for more. The instinctive, animalistic, lascivious urges required something more... real to be pleased. He felt the need to be able to truthfully tell himself that he was good enough to have sex with a real woman. And Celestia Ludenberg was the closest to a fictional character he could find; due to her  unusual, extravagant appearance. She was the best of both worlds._

_There was a striking comment on one of his online published mangas that hit a nerve: «lol XD ur hentais are geting werder n werder last chap princes piggles was fcking the protag whil the empres of orgasms threatend dem and now that tey had nothg to do tey had a quickie? Holy shit u fuckng virgin u obviosly never had sex befor seriously if u car abt ur fans go get laid.»_

_And try to get laid he would._

_Hifumi waddled to the academy’s kitchen with a look of discontent. He couldn’t find Kirumi, the Ultimate Maid, so he decided to pour his heart and soul into the tea by himself._

_Some minutes later..._

_“Sorry to keep you waiting!” he shouted proud of his deed, with one fist dug into his hip and a tray on the other hand._

_The aroma of tea wafted through the air as he returned._

_“Ehehe, I’m looking forward to tasting it.” she commented grateful._

_“Y-You might as well... have some made for everyone... while you were in there...” Toko Fukawa remarked condescendingly. The scent of the tea had opened her appetite._

_“I reject your proposal out of hand! You don’t even resemble my type!” he countered tenaciously as he pointed one disdainful index finger at the Ultimate Novelist, causing her to curse him in silence._

_“Then allow me...” with a smile on her face, Celes reached forward and picked the up the teacup... “What’s this?!” she tilted her head as she spoke confused, almost offended._

_Then, she launched the cup at the wall, bursting it into smithereens at the impact._

_“Whaaaat?!” he shouted as he placed his large hands on the most «What the fuck» face of his life. “Tarry, tarry... What are you doing, Ms. Hare?!” he added another otaku reference that nobody but himself understood._

_“I cannot stand milk tea of this kind.” she growled with disgust._

_“U-Ummm... I am unable to comprehend...” he admitted puzzled._

_Actually, he comprehended her actions. He comprehended such detestable attitudes all too well. What he didn’t comprehend was her. He found Celes’s character intriguing. She lied and manipulated without thinking twice on a constant basis, and because of that, she always got what she wanted, when she wanted. Even though he condemned this behaviour, he couldn’t help admitting it was very advantageous and above all, interesting._

_He decided he would examine her mindset further. He was certain that if a wrote and drew a character like her, he would be able to capture the fascination of his audience._

_“If I were to order a cup of milk tea at a nearby café, the waitress ought to bring me a small dish of milk along with my tea. I am one who prefers to have the milk put in my tea as it’s being brewed. Preparing it this way gives the tea an incomparably more pleasant aroma. Further, choosing to add milk or... say... lemon after the fact reduces the decision to that of picking a condiment. I, for one, question the legitimacy of glorifying such a choice as a menu item. As such, I will only acknowledge royal milk tea – brewed directly in milk.” she asserted confidently and coldly. The look on her face yelled «Now go clean that up!»_

_“Umm, so... This is how you thank me... for going out of my way to make you tea?!” he asked her bewildered. He had met real human malice before, but that was ridiculous._

_He didn’t mind, though. The more he explored her psyche, the better will be the new character he would create. Besides, if he got on her good side, he just might be able lose his virginity to her._

_“You are the one who should be thanking me. I am aware that a practically shut-in like you lacks the social skills to notice, so I will tell you: Women simply love men who sacrifice themselves to please them. Especially when it comes to tea - The quickest way to a woman’s heart is through tea.” she manipulated confidently._

_“Um... I’m pretty sure that’s a lie... But she sure sounded pretty convincing! Interesting...” he thought in his mind._

_“I understand you’re frustrated. In a café that serves both milk tea and royal milk tea, the latter is always the more expensive and difficult to brew.” she acknowledged emotionlessly. “However, what good is a menu item that doesn’t take a little bit of effort to make?” her angelical face returned._

_“Um, first of all, there is no menu here...” he tried to reason._

_“Shut yer fuckin’ trap and go make me my goddamn tea, Porky!” she hollered profoundly as her temper flared. Even her accent took a 180 degrees spin as she lifted her sharp, silver, Gunmetal plated ring and her two large twin-drill pigtails bristled._

_“Eeeeeeeep!!!! Y-Yes! Porky is at your service! Bringing your tea riiight awaaay!!!” he yielded as he vanished to the academy’s kitchen._

_“Ehehe. It’s amazing how far a little intimidation can go.” she rejoiced calmly once he left earshot._

She was hard to read then and she was hard to read when he met her at the Killing Game. However, maybe it was due to sheer naivety, but Hifumi thought and hoped he managed to remotely decipher who Celestia truly was. And make her at least slightly more pleasant. He was willing to change for her. He left his comfort zone and submitted himself to stressful situations for her sake, and she knew this. He could only hope he made a change in her for the best as well.

“No. Thank Heavens I haven’t fought once we arrived. I merely discarded some of my accessories and ripped my clothes so I could move faster.” Celestia explained tranquil as they quickly moved to the wooden facilities near the hotel where they _might_ find shelter.

If ghosts could speak, Hiyoko’s spirit would probably be yelling at Hifumi to run away.

“Thank goodness...! Well, do you want to form an allian-”

“Is that your weapon?!” she interrupted as she pointed to the crossbow he held. No emotion on her face.

“Yes, it’s mine. Don’t worry, I haven’t harmed anyone.” he spoke softly.

When they approached their destination they could see a welcome sign made of wood with the words «Usami Corral» written on it. Apparently, it was a farm.

They could see mostly cows, pigs and chickens out in the open sleeping. When they walked past the slumbering animals, none of them woke up, or remotely reacted, which means if anyone was hidden in there, the animals wouldn’t reveal their presence.

The place where they roamed quietly had the typical look of a large ranch: abundant vegetation, wooden fences; but nothing in there resembled proper shelter for the night, with the exception of a barn. It’s only downside was the scent caused by the sleeping horses that dwelled inside. Their excrement made it impossible for them to sleep.

Interestingly, the amount of waste matter the horses produced seemed only one day old. It was like the barn was cleaned for the last time the day before they arrived... But who cleaned it? And where were they now?

“It would seem as though there is no one in here... No wonder, considering this insufferable stench.” Celes remarked with disgust after professionally inspecting the barn extremely quietly.

There was only one entrance in that wretched place, so they guarded the front door together. They left the door opened but one mere inch so they could peer through the tiny gap and stay alert. Though it was nearly impossible to see anything in the night, they could still hear quite well.

“So... Miss Ludenberg... About our alliance...” Hifumi started gently, careful not to upset her in their situation.

“...I will not stay here for long. It is still quite early on in this Killing Game, once the dust settles a bit more, I shall head to Hotel Mirai.” she emotionlessly announced after slowly turning her head toward him after almost half a minute of silence, completely ignoring his proposal.

_What’s up with her? She’s acting weird... Weirder... Is she just stressed out and trying to hide it? She looks awfully calm..._

“You can’t! Surely, that luxurious place is filled with other people! I saw Mahiru and Ibuki heading inside!” he chivalrously warned preoccupied.

“Did you now? Good. I will head there and kill them in that case. Will you join me or will I have to end you right now?” she casually stated. 

“Nyeeeeeeeehhhh!!! Wh-What... What did you say?!!” his heart almost stopped.

“Join me or die. The choice is yours.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Long time no see! Sorry to end this in cliff hanger, but I started writing and I couldn't stop, consequently I ended up having one GIANT chapter, so I ultimately (pun intended XD ) decided to split it in two. Not to worry though, the next chapter is already available!
> 
> Known weapons so far:  
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield  
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle  
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun  
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol  
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow
> 
> Deaths:  
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors


	5. Terror in Usami Corral

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Known weapons so far:
> 
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)
> 
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray
> 
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield
> 
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle
> 
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun
> 
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol
> 
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow
> 
>  
> 
> Deaths:
> 
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors

“Ah... he... hehe... Y-You’re... lying, right? Haha very funny... But... now it’s not the time for your lies, Celes. We... we can die any moment. We’re in a Killing Game, remember? Did you see what happened to professor Kazuo? Be honest for once in your life!” he nervously asserted. Deep down, he wasn’t so sure she was lying. Besides, he had already put his crossbow inside his backpack, because his weak arms got immensely tired, meaning she had a huge advantage.

 “Of course I was lying, Hifumi. Merely a jest. It would seem I failed my attempt to lighten the mood. Only an idiot like you would fall for such an obvious lie.” she laughed darkly, as if she hadn’t a care in the world.

“O-Oh... Well, don’t do that again, we must focus if we want to survive.” he scolded anxiously, still not entirely convinced.

“Exactly. Speaking of which...” her features turned sad and her voice low and soft. “W-We... we might die here... I won’t be able to help you much... This frail body of mine is very limited... And I... I...” she stuttered demure, seemingly unable to voice whatever she was thinking. “I don’t want to die without ever... doing it...”

“Wh-What are you getting at?” his heart skipped a beat one more time.

Does she...? No...

“I want to do it... with someone I can trust... with someone I like... Hifumi, will you...?” she begged timidly with a fierce blush on her pale cheeks.

“Uhm... I...I would l-love... Uhm...” he too struggled to voice what he desired. His most ardent fantasy.

“Your stupidity never ceases to amaze me, Hifumi. That was, of course, a lie.” she hissed coldly.

Silence.

“Unlike what I said before. I _will_ kill anyone who crosses my way, just like that bitch Hyioko. Farewell, Hifumi.” she casually declared before getting up and preparing to leave.

 “Wait! Y-You can’t be serious! Celes, you’re the only person in this world who I can confidently say that I know. And I know for a fact that you’re not this heartless bitch you present yourself as. It’s just a villainous persona you invented to feel good about yourself – it’s a defence mechanism. B-But... you don’t have to lie to me anymore... It’s okay, you can be yourself... Just like I can be myself around you, and only you... People have always been mean to me, lied to me... I-I can’t say I blame them for the most part, I’m not the exactly nicest person around, but... I like you because unlike everyone else, you’re honest about your lies!” he poured his heart out for her, trying to reach the heart he thought and hoped she had.

“Hifumi, you are, by far, the most foolish person I have ever known. Be honest, are you retarded? Did the doctor drop you when you were born? I can’t believe you haven’t figured out that I have used you every time we interacted. That is, quite frankly, sad. Someone who thinks with their penis instead of their brain like you deserves nothing less than death. Goodbye.” his fat fingers gripped her wrist, halting her advance.

“Hold on! I know that is not true. You chose to hang out me all the time in the academy, even when you didn’t use me, you preferred my company over everyone else’s. And that... that proves you’re lying right now. You do like me, at least slightly... Please, drop that ridiculous act and be honest to me: Was all that time we spent together a lie? Did it have any meaning to you, like it had meaning to me?” he pleaded with a cracking voice.

“You know, I find it extremely hypocritical of you to accuse me of being a liar, when in reality, you only spent time with me because you wanted to write «an interesting character» for your absurd stories. I _did_ watch those pathetic, perverted  drawings you made of me online, just so you know.” she countered carefree.

“O-Oh... I-I’m sorry... But, I promise you that I... started liking you... a lot... more than anyone actually. From now on, let’s stop lying to each other, okay? Let’s be completely honest from this point forward. So please, just tell me: A-Are we friends?” he begged desperately, taken back by the fact that she knew his secret.

“Friends... I-I don’t think my heart has the ability to feel friendship...” she whispered, as her pitch-black bangs covered her eyes.

“Wh-What?!”

“Oh? I believe I just saw someone... Whoever it was, they seemed like they were approaching this place. I better hurry.” she casually stated before gasping slightly at the sight of an incoming human figure through the door’s gap.

“Stop! If you’re really as evil as you say you are, then... then... why don’t you attack me?” he argued loudly, completely disregarding the fact that someone was supposedly heading over his hideaway.

“...You moron... The next person who comes in here will attempt to murder you. I see no reason to unnecessarily stain my hands.” she darkly replied as she calculated the best route to avoid the incoming threat.

“What about my weapon? A crossbow is pretty useful... If you’re not my friend, then why won’t you take it?” he stood his ground desperately.

For the first time in his life, Hifumi felt like he caused an emotional reaction in Celes. She seemed taken back by his argument. Normally, she is a splendid debater, even though she rarely argues with truths, she always knew the answer for anything, but in that moment, she couldn’t think of a comeback.

Without even so much as turning her gaze toward him, she exited the barn and ran with all her might without a word.

The foreign feeling came back. Hurt, disappointment... He thought he had gotten used to it, but Celes managed to jab his tightly shut heart.

He should have known. Ever since he started inspecting her mindset, he should have known that she is full of surprises – nasty most of the times. There are no lows she won’t stoop to. The emotions she displays are lies. All schemes. He should have known this better than anyone. He thought he was playing her, but she was the ring-leader.

But still... she spared him... and let him keep his crossbow... that has to mean something, right?

The excruciating stench in the barn crept inside his mind and forced him to recall the last time he had to smell the horrible scent of animal waste matter.

_No! It doesn’t mean anything! If we were friends she would have tried to make an alliance so we could survive this together. She’s just another lying two-faced BITCH!!! Just like everyone else! I wanna go home. I wanna go home. I WANNA GO HOME. No one betrays me at home. No one hurts me at home. I can live whatever reality I wish at home. Everything I want comes to life thanks to my divine talent... Wait a minute... What if... What if I’m at home right now? What if... What if this is just another story I invented?_

Before he had the chance to think, the front door burst open, which almost hit him. He yapped and flinched, thinking of nothing else but to take out his crossbow from his backpack. Leon Kuwata appeared instantly, swinging a metalic baseball bat franticly in the air, producing wind slashing sounds.

“Stop right now, or I’ll shoot!!” Hifumi roared as he pointed his crossbow at the Ultimate Baseball Star.

“Hifumi? Are you like the others?” he growled as if he were withstanding a great deal of pain, while holding the baseball bat with a «Ko Gasumi» stance.

Leon’s eyes and nose were blood-red, though they appeared to be in a better state than his bruised purple neck, that was obviously strangled quite brutally. A stream cascaded down each of his eyes and he seemed having a hard time keeping them open. His breathing was also quite accelerated, most likely due to his evident panic. There were no doubts – that guy was attacked.

“If by that you mean to ask me if I intend to murder, then yes. If you don’t turn around and leave at once that is.” Hifumi menaced with gritted teeth as he backed off slowly with a trembling crossbow in hands.

“I didn’t want to hurt anyone! I just wanted to help!” Leon cried with a cracking voice. “I saw... Kirumi... she was acting weird, so I went to check on her, I just wanted to help her and she...” he moaned as he caressed his brutalized throat. It looked like Kirumi was responsible for the strangling part. “And then when I came here, I saw Celes running away, she seemed distressed, I wanted to aid her, but she used some sort of pepper spray gas on me.”

“A sob story won’t still my hand! Leave. Now!” the crossbow wielder hollered.

The athlete was boldly shortening the distance between them at a very slow pace. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator was receding slowly, so he could retain the advantage of his ranged weapon.

“No. I’m done playing nice. I’ve always treated everyone, especially chicks, like saints. I just wanted to fuck one. But instead everyone keeps fucking me up. I never wanted to be the Ultimate Basaball Star, I only wanted to pursue what I loved. I have dreams! I wanna be a rock-star! But now I was screwed over AGAIN! I still have my whole life ahead of me. I won’t die here!” Leon took advantage of Hifumi’s hesitance and threw his baseball bat at him, because he was too far to have been able to hit from up close.

The edge of the blunt weapon violently collided with his chest, exactly where his heart lied. Both the force and the pain were too much for Hifumi to handle, causing him to lose balance.

Leon was most likely aiming for the crossbow but ended up missing… In any case, he lunged at the Ultimate Fanfic Creator like a starving lioness to a wounded gazelle. The orange haired boy always had soft features, which were heightened by his carefree smile. Almost no one knew how scary his face was when he was angry. He looked like a feral beast.

But being scary wouldn’t spare him his fate. Because Hifumi completely discarded his humanity right then and there.

Right before the athlete had established physical contact, he shot a bolt aimed at his bruised neck. The arrow was so sharp and flew so fast that it easily pierced through Leon’s windpipe and flesh. Fortunately, he died instantly, meaning the forceful impact his skull suffered against a wall when he was reeled backwards didn’t inflict any pain.

As Hifumi watched in complete and utter horror the corpse’s permanently shocked expression, soaked in a puddle of his own blood, he almost found it funny… Despite everything, Leon and Hifumi had a lot in common. Both of them had a dream they wished to pursue more than anything, but were discouraged by their surrounding society. And both of them had terrible luck with women. If it weren’t for the Killing Game, Hifumi might have considered becoming friends with him.

_This… This is your fault… I-I will… win… I won’t die here! I have my whole life ahead of myself!_

* * *

 

Makoto Naegi has never felt so lucky in his life.

The Ultimate Lucky Student usually has streaks of desperately bad luck followed by streaks of ridiculous good luck. This trend was once again repeated when he was pitted inside a Killing Game against his friends that would only end when 47 of them laid dead.

But at least he was able to sleep through the first night by himself out in the open and nothing had happened to him. Plus, he wondered if the weapon that he had received randomly could be any better: a mean looking Micro Uzi 9mm Machine Gun, coupled with a box of countless bullets.

Now he was using the morning’s light to search for his friends so they could cooperate their way out of that Hellhole.

_Calm down, Makoto! Everything will be just fine. I just gotta think this through. All I have to do is rally my friends and then we’ll get through this together. Nobody is gonna buy into this Game thing. There’s no way any of us would even consider killing someone else. Like… Kiyotaka! He’d be all for turning this around! And Kyoko? She’d find out whoever is behind this in a heartbeat!_

_“Not so fast there! Hard truth is… you’re taking a lot of faith. How sure are you that nobody bought into this? How much of your bravado is just wishful thinking? How well do you know the 3 classes that were thrown in this island? Well enough to trust any of them with your life? How well do you really know Byakuya? He’s never shown he gives a damn about anyone but himself. And what about Celes? Or Korekiyo?... How well do you really know Kyoko?”_ the voice of reason in his head cautioned as drops of sweat descended down his worried face.

_What am I thinking? This is the way they want us! Paranoid… running scared… Give in to that and they win! Okay, okay… One step at the time. First Kyoko. Then Kiyotaka. Then… play it as it comes. Sounds like a plan!_

The boy with the ahoge proceeded to optimistically sprint in broad daylight with a carefree smile on his face.

When he passed near Usami Corral, he noticed the door to one of the barns was wide open, which contradicted an early memory he had when he passed there some hours before. Perhaps someone was in there! He decided to approach it.

“Hello? Is someone there?! I won’t hurt!” he called out nervously after inspecting the area.

No response.

When he was just a couple of meters away from the barn’s front door, he could sense the smell of horse manure... Just awful... However, he could also smell something else... A metallic scent!

Without entering, he merely peered inside to check if that second scent wasn’t... what he thought he was.

His tide of luck had diminished. What he saw would be burned in his mind for the rest of his life: Leon Kuwata, on of his friends, lying on his stomach with a severely damaged skull and a bolt perforated across his neck aiming to the sky. His formerly orange hair was dyed red with a pool of his own blood. Well, at least he didn’t get to see the eternal shock and horror frozen by death in his face.

“L-Leon? Who... Who was capable of such a thing?” he sat on his knees as he pleaded with tears on his eyes.

Almost as if on cue, an arrow flew from his top and nearly grazed the skin if his cheek. Looks like his luck returned. He furiously turned his head upwards to glare at his attacker, but instead began weeping when he learned who did it.

“Hifumi!” he cried out.

“A-heh! Nnngh...!” the overweight boy mumbled incoherently with crossbow in hand. The utter despair and guilt that were evident on his face were being unsuccessfully washed by streams of tears.

Apparently, he had climbed up the barn. It was quite small, but an extraordinary feat nonetheless, especially considering Hifumi’s weight and poor athletic prowess.

“Hifumi! What have you done? Why?!” Makoto yelled as he crouched and protected his frontal body from crossbow arrows with his backpack. “We don’t have to play! We can win this if we stick together!”

“It’s me! Me!!!!”

“It’s you... I see that.” he growled bewildered.

“No! It’s me they’ll kill first! It’s me! Because I’m so heavy and slow... No one cares about my great talent, they just pick on me because it’s funny! Why are you all so obsessed with me anyway? Are you jealous of my talent? ...I was... just a mild-mannered boy without a single friend... why does everybody hate me so much...?” he moaned in between fits of crying. “Th-that’s why! That’s why I did it! That’s why I have to kill first!” Yamada shrieked emotionally unstable.

“No! Nobody has to kill! Listen to me! We can beat this! Just come over here with me, we can hook up with the rest of the class and escape this place together! It’s us against them! Not against each other! We play their game, we all lose!” he begged with the best forged smile he could muster in order to persuade the other boy.

“L-Liar... You’re lying! Just like that bitch Celes! She left me to die and suffer with Leon! That big smile you have right now... She used to flash it too... to convince me she wasn’t as heartless as I initially thought. Everyone always had that big smile before jumping on Shitumi Yuckada!” Hifumi wailed as he started becoming more aggressive.

“Don’t say that, Hifumi! I care about you! I’m smiling because that’s what friends do, right? Trust me on this, like I’m trusting you _not_ to shoot me.” he shouted as he stood up and threw his arms up in the air as a sign of peace.

“F-Friends...? I don’t have any friends... I thought I had Celes, but now... Ah! Wait a minute... I do have a friend! Princess Piggles, from the anime « _Demon Angel_ _☆_ _Pretty Pudgy»!_ She was so cute and wise! Always telling me that I was good enough! That I mattered! When I returned home crying, all I needed was to see Princess Piggles in action and I’d be happy again! She’d always keep me company! I wrote so many doujinshis of her... I-I have to go back home! I have to see Princess Piggles again! Sh-She loves me! She’s waiting for me!” the emotionally unstable boy howled as his sanity deteriorated.

And with that, a vicious bolt was fired against Makoto. And though it didn’t hit him, it certainly hit any chance of cooperation between them. The Ultimate Fanfic Creator had made perfectly clear that their friendship had ended and that he would play the game. Dialogue was also obviously futile, as he had clearly gone mad.

Harming Hifumi with his far superior and fearsome weapon hadn’t even crossed his mind. All he did was turning around and trying to escape that damn farm already while praying that his tremendous luck would be by his side once again and protect him form the bolts. Although to be fair, Hifumi’s atrocious aim certainly helped his case.

While inspecting his attacker from the corner of his eye, he observed an arrow flying with far better accuracy than the others. That one would hit it’s target.

But alas, Makoto wouldn’t have received the title of Ultimate Lucky Student for no reason. Right before the projectile would stab his back, a backpack intercepted it from his left side.

His luck hadn’t stopped there just yet. The one who saved him by throwing their means of survival was the person he wished to see the most: Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Sleuth!

“Kyoko!” he rejoiced relieved.

“Stand back.” she emotionlessly ordered before flinging a sharp rock with a slingshot, her weapon, at Hifumi’s face.

“P-Princess Piggles... I’ll meet you soon.” he whispered as he took out another bolt from his backpack, right before an uneven rock met his weird face.

Once the violent impact in his forehead happened, he fell down the barn’s ceiling to the grassy ground.

“I-Is he...?” Makoto mumbled, fearing the worst for the person who attempted to murder him.

“He is merely unconscious.” she informed blankly.

“Thank goodness. Kyoko, I’m so glad you’re okay! Figures, only a genius like you would make wonders with just some slingshot!” he spoke ecstatic as he hugged her warmly. Though a bit reluctant, she returned the affectionate gesture. “Hey, are you hurt?”

“I am fine. And I appreciate the sentiment, but in our current situation we must focus on devising an intellectual strategy. It is abundantly clear that we are up against powerful and influential foes.” she stated as her index finger and thumb held her chin.

“Right. So... any ideas?” he left her with the thinking part as usual, which she appreciated.

“Yes. I have spoken with Monokuma and learned important facts. According to the second rule he set before the start of the Killing Game, «I may speak with you personally, whenever I wish. However, I can’t interfere with anyone’s death, unless rule #3 is broken.», we can conclude that whenever he talks to us, we can know for a fact that we aren't in danger, as by distracting us, he would be interfering with our deaths. Furthermore, he implied that the organization behind all this found out that me and Shuichi Saihara were investigating the Killing Games. Only someone who had access to Hope’s Pea Academy's records, large amounts of wealth and power would be able to set up these murderous games, which leads me to believe that Sonia Nevermind, Byakyua Togami or Fuyuhyko Kuzuryu are behind this.” she reported contemplative.

“You were investigating this? Wait, hold on, aren’t you jumping to conclusions here? Anyone could have sneaked in the Academy and uncover the principal’s agenda! How can you know for sure that one those 3 did it?” Makoto questioned certain that the friends she mentioned were innocent.

“I’ll explain the details later. For now we need to find Shuichi to gather the facts on his side. Then we might be able to discover who are the culprits behind this Killing Game and hopefully escape.”

“Right! Let’s get on the move then!” he beamed as if there was nothing to worry about.

“But first we must quickly disarm Hifumi. A crossbow would be a valuable asset to us.” she pointed out deadpan before sprinting toward the knocked out body’s weapon. “And Makoto, beware of Rantaro Amani. We were investigating his ties with the previous Killing Game before we were kidnapped and he was also remarkably calm throughout our ordeal. He is the prime suspect by a long shot.” she took Hifumi’s crossbow with one hand and the rock that was used to knock him out with the other.

Before Makoto had the chance to say something along the lines of «Um... you were also pretty calm...», the fearsome roar of a gunshot announced a bullet that pierced through Kyoko’s hypothenar muscles. The pain on her hand was so intense that she dropped the crossbow.

Makoto’s scream of dread was even sharper than Kyoko’s scream of agony.

A tall, blonde young man with glasses rushed towards their direction so that the next bullet wouldn’t miss a vital organ.

Byakuya Togami was very much aware that the duo would try to reason with him. However, he was far too determined to be persuaded. He pointed his Beretta M92F 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol to the violet-haired young woman and was ready to kill without hesitation.

* * *

 

“Peko! Peko! Where are you!?” Fuyuhyko Kuzuryu called his bodyguard’s name.

_“Shit! Where the fuck is she? I’m risking my ass for talking so loud in broad daylight... But I can’t really survive this without her...”_ the Ultimate Yakuza thought as he searched for her location in Usami Corral.

“Huh? A bullet mark?” the short young man was taken back by the sign of imminent peril in the wooden fence of the farm. Upon closer inspection, there was indeed a bullet on the grassy ground, which perforated the fence and fell.

His life as a gangster and a criminal prepared him to have his adrenaline levels skyrocket whenever he sensed danger. Whoever was responsible for the shooting may very well be nearby...

Just in front of the scarred fence, there were patches of grass that were clearly trampled recently quite hard, suggesting someone sprinted and jumped over the fence. He followed the lane of lied down plants and detected small trails of fresh blood.

_“Please don’t be Peko! Anyone but Peko!”_ he pleaded mentally as he prepared for battle by squeezing the weapon he had received randomly, a tomahawk.

As he continued to explore the battlefield-looking ranch, he noticed a crossbow suspiciously lying out in the open. It almost felt too easy to simply pick it up and take it. Too attractive. That thing had trap written all over it. He felt like a seasoned rat next to a mousetrap.

Still, the fact that there were evidence of struggle and escape in there, the fact that there no bolts he could use with the crossbow and the fact that he felt relatively confident with dealing with nearly everyone in that island with his axe persuaded him to quickly seize the chance. He ran toward it, took it and instantly continued, aaaaaand... Nothing happened.

_Good thing I wasn’t paranoid..._

Fuyuhiko recalled Monokuma saying that he would drop ammunition at random spots in the island occasionally, so he might find use for the arrowless ranged weapon eventually. Until that moment arrived, he decided to keep it inside his given backpack.

The bloody path of broken twigs led him to what looked like a barn, which had a large body lying on it’s back in front of the single door.

_Is that Hifumi? His head is all bloody, he must have something to do with the crime scene back there... Wait... is he... is he masturbating? No! I must be seeing this wrong!_

Unfortunately, he wasn’t. Not only was he greeted with a confusingly disgusting sight, but also with some shocking psychotic ramblings.

“Oh Princess Piggles! I’m gonna draw so many hentais of you when I come back!” Hifumi moaned as he played with himself. Blood dripping from the grisly wound on his forehead.

“What the fuck are you doing, you disgusting pig?!” he yelled in order to delay the deed he didn’t want to do. He didn’t think he’d waver before murdering someone. That didn’t happen the last time he did it…

“I don’t care if nobody loves me or acknowledges my incredible talent! Princess Piggles’s love is all I need! She is so beautiful! So pure! And… real! Her love is as real as herself!” he groaned as his grip on sanity weakened rapidly. “Back when I was a sweet young man who liked to draw and had no friends, I fell into darkness – I was like king Midas, but instead of gold I left pain. The one thing that I derived pleasure from was the occasional class-rep type girl would talk to me. «Don’t pretend like you care about a creep like me, you self righteous hypocrite!», I would say, bringing them to tears and bringing a smidgen of joy to my hardened heart.”

“Why the fuck are you telling me this, you creep? Have you gone mad?!” he asked bewildered by his uncanny ramblings in the middle of a killing game. His question was confirmed when he saw the horrifying sight of Leon with a bolt pierced through his neck and his head smashed on a sea of red. He desperately fought the urge to vomit.

“One day, I happened to come across an anime called «Demon Angel☆Pretty Pudgy _»._ In the beginning I just made fun of it. A battle anime full of pretty girls? Pah! But then she kept saying to the screen that I should believe in myself, that I was talented and that I mattered! People argue that this is only one of the themes of the show: to give confidence and inspire the audience, but I’m no fool! I know for a fact that she was talking directly to me! I... I fell in love with her! I remember having dirty dreams about her... Lacking an official depiction of her love for me, I set out to create one myself – one overflowing with my love for her! That spark exploded into a flame of passion and I found myself writing story after story about her. I was so proud of my work that I published it online and it turned out a huge hit in the blink of an eye. I became famous all thanks to her!” he detailed as he cried and laughed manically.

“You’re not even listening, are you? This crossbow must be yours, so you must have been the fucker who killed that guy in the barn. I-I won’t let a threat live!” his angry words fell on deaf ears as he hesitated to finish the fallen boy off.

“Oh Princess Piggles! I was admired and revered by my fans thanks to you! You’re the only one who gave me love... the only one...”

They say before someone dies, their most important memories flash before their eyes. Perhaps this was because Hifumi sensed that Fuyuhiko would murder him, but he started recalling a very vivid memory.

_“Why thank you, Yamada. Your services have improved significantly. If you continue your fine performance, I shall consider upgrading you to a C-rank, which is the highest rank I have ever given to anyone. You should thank me for providing you important skills in the world of work.” Celes complimented Hifumi as she happily drank the milk tea he made for her._

_“Thank you so much, mistress!... Say, are you going to Kaito’s party? I don’t think you would enjoy spending your day with me...” he feigned submission._

_“I wasn’t invited. Therefore, I shall not attend.”  she spoke regally with her usual slight smile. His intuition told him that her indifference was one more of her lies._

_“Really? I thought he had invited everyone.”_

_“With the exception of me, it would seem. I do not blame Kaito. I **did** spread several demeaning fake rumours about the woman he fancies, after all.” she explained indifferent as she sipped her tea._

_“Yeah, miss Harukawa is way too sensitive... Anyway, I’m returning home now. I have animes waiting for me!” he picked up his school bag and prepared to leave the classroom illuminated by the orange sunset._

_“Wait, Yamada! You do not have to leave now. Stay here with me.” she pleaded longingly._

_“Do you need anything else, mistress?”_

_“No. I just want you by my side. Come, sit next to me.” she responded with her composure back._

“I thought Celes needed a friend. She often told me how popular she was,  but I knew damn well those were lies. No matter, I have Princess Piggles! That goth can perish and rot for all I care... I-I need to go back home... I need to inspire people like _she_ inspired me!” Hifumi shrieked as his climax neared. He thought of Princess Piggles dressed as a maid with revealing clothes to pleasure himself further.

“This guy’s in a lot of pain... The wound on his forehead must caused serious damage. Fine, I’ll end your suffering.” the Ultimate Yakuza gulped, raised his tomahawk and prepared to repeat the act that haunted him.

The Ultimate Fanfic Creator had lost his mind and was about to lose his life as well. If he was lucky and managed to survive, then he would certainly suffer severe cerebral impairments. Fuyuhiko was only able to swing his axe to the fallen body after convincing himself that he was sparing him from unnecessary deals of suffering.

CRACK! Just like that, the sharp end of the tomahawk met the insane boy’s neck, killing him instantly as a form of euthanasia.

* * *

 

_“Calm yourself Fuyuhiko! You did what you had to do! Do you think that attitude will make your clan proud? You’re the Ultimate Yakuza for crying out loud! Still, why wasn’t it easier the second time?! Why do I feel so disgusted?”_ Fuyuhiko thought as he continued his searched for Peko  and as he ignored the intense guilt that gnawed him.

He ran and ran and ran, as if he was trying to escape the guilt. He searched the western part of the island thoroughly and still no signs of Peko. That moment he needed her more than even. Not really because of protection, he just needed a friend...

He decided to inspect Rocketpunch Market again. He hoped that it would have bolts for his newly acquired crossbow in stock. And hopefully Peko as well.

On his way there, he did indeed met a tall, silver-haired woman, but she wasn’t the Ultimate Swordswoman he sought...

It was Kirumi Tojo, the Ultimate Maid. Strangely, she wasn’t acting like a normal person would in the middle of a Killing Game. She was just... standing there staring vacantly at the ground. Her green eyes completely empty and her fists clenched so hard it was painful. He wasn’t very far from her, but she still did not show any signs of detecting him.

_Fuck! Kirumi? It didn’t seem like she saw me... I.. I have to do it!_

He sprinted toward her with tomahawk in hand so fast that she wouldn’t even have time to react once she noticed him. He was aiming for her chest in order to provide a quick, painless death and once he was mere inches away from her, her arm shot like a bullet to his neck, halting the feral groan humans make before striking.

The impact that her gloved hand had with his throat was extremely violent and painful, which caused him to drop his tomahwak. And yet, her blank gaze remained unchanged. She was like an amazing animal perfectly aware of her surroundings and too confident in her abilities to show fear. She lifted his smaller body effortlessly with her hand, producing scrunching noises as she strangled him. Only then did she looked up at him.

“I am... conflicted. Whatever shall I do? As a maid, I must serve everyone with selfless devotion, so killing is strictly against my obligations. However, there are countless people outside counting on my aid...” she spoke confused with dead eyes.

He kicked and twisted in midair desperately in order to break free from her vicious clutch on his neck. Both of his hands struggled with all their might against her brutal grip to no avail. His compressed carotid artery would fail after mere seconds if he didn’t escape right away.

He had heard stories of Kirumi’s impressive skills and talents, including her outstanding strength, but that far surpassed  human limits.

She blankly scanned his face reddened by utter anguish slowly turning purple as his frantic legs started weakening. Inexplicably, she let him go, causing him to fall to the ground on his knees as he coughed uncontrollably.

“Thank you. I have made my decision.” she emotionlessly announced before turning her back on him and walking away calmly. She most likely hadn’t even removed her weapon from her backpack, seeing as she was walking bare handed.

_“That bitch! How? Is she even human? And why was she acting so strangely? No weapon, she didn’t even scanned her surroundings, just... staring at the ground confused. She sounded like she was having a dilemma... And why let me live? That bitch could have at least taken my things. I have weapons, food and water that she would need!_

As his coughing finally started to mitigate, the long lack of oxygen started affecting his brain. His vision grew blurry, the world around him looked like it was spinning and he could hear an ominous buzzing sound on his ears...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally I got this done! So, Hiyoko, Hifumi and Leon are the only deaths so far. These 3 are the least popular characters in the fandom so I decided to have them kick the bucket first, because I personally am not a huge fan of them either. Hifumi, in particular is a rather inconsistent character: in canon, he is supposed to be a bullying victim who stopped trusting other people due to teasing and stuff. However, he blindly follows and reveres Celes! What?! Because of this, I decided to throw my own twist in there in order to justify his inconsistent actions, and I hope did a good job at it.
> 
> I feel like there is something that I really need to improve in my writing: describing places and sceneries. What do you guys think? Feedback would be very much appreciated. ^_^
> 
> Known weapons so far:
> 
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)
> 
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray
> 
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield
> 
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle
> 
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun
> 
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol
> 
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow
> 
> Leon Kuwata: Baseball Bat
> 
> Makoto Naegi - Micro Uzi 9mm Machine Gun
> 
> Kyoko Kirigiri: Slingshot
> 
> Byakyua Togami: Beretta M92F 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol
> 
> Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu - Tomahawk
> 
>  
> 
> Deaths:
> 
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors
> 
> Victim: Leon Kuwata – Killer: Hifumi Yamada – Weapon: Crossbow + bolt
> 
> Victim: Hifumi Yamada – Killer: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Weapon: Tomahawk


	6. The Fragility of Friendships

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Known weapons so far:  
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield   
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle   
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun   
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol   
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow   
> Leon Kuwata: Baseball Bat   
> Makoto Naegi - Micro Uzi 9mm Machine Gun   
> Kyoko Kirigiri: Slingshot   
> Byakyua Togami: Beretta M92F 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol   
> Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu - Tomahawk 
> 
> Deaths:  
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors   
> Victim: Leon Kuwata – Killer: Hifumi Yamada – Weapon: Crossbow + bolt   
> Victim: Hifumi Yamada – Killer: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Weapon: Tomahawk

**2nd Day – 10:13 AM**

“Looks like Monokuma wasn’t lying after all... No matter which part of the beach I check, there are always multiple sharks patrolling non-stop... For all we know, land could also be miles away. Escaping through the sea is a death sentence.” Rantaro Amami reported frustrated as he observed various intimidating dorsal fins that crowned circling dark figures blurred by seawater.

“Odd. I did not know that sharks swam so close to the shore for so long. Or that they sought prey accompanied by their kin.” Korekiyo Shinguji wondered serenely as his bandaged thumb and index finger held his military regulation cap.

“I’m more worried about their size. Those can’t be ordinary sharks...” the green haired boy sighed as he rested his weary arms on his hips.

The possibility that the predatory fishes that frightened him were genetically engineered and trained to guard the beach crossed his mind, but he ultimately decided to not voice it, as it sounded too rash of a theory, considering the lack of evidence to back it up. He wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if that was the case, though.

“Well, I guess there goes the most evident escape route. The way I see it, we’ll have to beat whoever is behind this if we want to get out of here.” the Ultimate Adventurer clung to hope as he turned to leave the beach.

“Taking into account the tremendous amount of affluence and effort our abductors had to not only carefully trap us in an hellish coliseum but also walk away unpunished, I am most certain that such a feat is next to impossible. And supposing for the sake of the argument that we were to somehow catch these villains and bring about their fall, would we really be able to return home afterwards?” the Ultimate Anthropologist argued collected.

“Come now, I won’t allow a friend of mine to be so pessimistic. But if you’re feeling hopeless, how about we see this as an adventure? Think of this as just another one of the escapades you do to other parts of the world on your culture studies, except this time, we’ll just have the extra duty of collecting clues and, who knows, gathering the aid of trustworthy people as we explore this huge island. I already feel adrenaline just by thinking about it. Don’t you?” Rantaro encouraged.

“Kehehe... There is such absolute beauty in trying to fight against the truth.” the lanky young man chuckled as he placed his crossed arms in front of his untroubled heart.

_“He’s acting weird... The Korekiyo I’m seeing looks like someone who can’t wait to go on a murderous rampage, rather than someone who is desperate to find a way out. This guy has ‘Killer’ written all over his face... I gotta be cautious with him...”_ Rantaro thought suspiciously.

“I do appreciate the fact that you wish to conserve collaboration and support within a terribly bleak situation. A truly beautiful sentiment. But don’t bother trying to fool me _or_ yourself; the Rantaro that I observed showed high intellect and calm composure to analyze his surroundings. We both know that if we wish to escape, every single one of our schoolmates and friends must perish.” the masked boy threatened darkly as he pointed a sharp throwing kunai at him.

Rantaro’s weapon was a ridiculous plastic hammer. Had he not been his cool, rational character, he might have thrown a hissy fit at his own pitiful luck. Fortune had been far nicer toward Korekiyo, though. The 6 vicious Japanese traditional daggers, known as kunai, gave him a dreadful advantage.

“Is this the part where you chase me down and kill me? And here I thought we were friends...” Rantaro spoke coldly, despite being in serious danger, as he backed off slowly with a defensive posture.

The Anthropologist threw the kunai with speed so blinding that the Adventurer had only time to flinch instinctively.

He waited for the pain to appear and use his adrenaline rush to somehow fight off his attacker, but... there was no need.

The menacing dagger hadn’t hit him, though it was frightfully close. The same couldn’t be said about the aquatic creature that laid dead by his feet, tainting the surrounding water with a horrible shade of red.

As they left the ocean water and its tranquilising waves in fear of sharks driven mad by the smell of blood, Rantaro noticed that he was saved from a huge eel with even bigger teeth, which must have crept unnoticed looking for a bite.

“Fear not. I have no intention to murder - I am not a brute. And even if I was, I would only start killing once I determined that living in harmony with the rest of our schoolmates would be an impossibility.” he appeased softly as he quickly retrieved his weapon from his target .

_I’m... not too sure if I trust that response... There are plenty of people in here that I’d trust, but Kiyo... Even when we hung out, he was always hard to read..._

“I apologize if I frightened you. I’m fully aware that my appearance and demeanour may come off as... creepy, to some.” Korekiyo said as he eyed his nazi-looking uniform.

“Er... It’s alright. And thank you. Really.” he conceded, still not entirely convinced.

They decided to depart from the beach and look for a place that would conceal them better, as they would be extremely vulnerable out in the open.

They hurried to a nearby Beach House, the place where they happened to meet by chance and decided to form an alliance instead of skipping to the murderous part. At the time, Rantaro was delighted that it was Korekiyo Shinguji the one he found, as they often chatted incessantly about their the trips, convincing him that they were somewhat close friends.

They even went to the bus that took them to that godforsaken island together, and the duration of awkward silences was surprisingly short. But in that moment, Rantaro doubted that the times when they talked about the Anthropologist’s cultural researches would grant a solid enough friendship to prevent a betrayal.

They weren’t _that_ well acquainted. Not only did he see him as an extremely reserved man, he also always thought Korekiyo gave off a creepy vibe. In fact, it seemed like he actually enjoyed scaring others.

_“Say, Korekiyo, you’ve been to Hungary, right?” the Adventurer approached the lonely Anthropologist. He hated seeing someone isolated._

_“I have. Why, are you planning on travelling there next?”_

_“Yeah. Thinking about visiting Gyor, Budapeste and... pretty much improvise from there.” he chuckled as he scratched his head._

_“Kehehe... Spoken like a true Ultimate Adventurer! I see you enjoy  the trill of spontaneity.” the lanky boy guessed, genuinely interested in engaging in pointless chatter._

_“Haha, fear of the unknown isn’t my thing. Anyway, I heard you’ve been there before, so I was wondering if you could tell me some cool places to visit, or... anything that struck you as some sort of adventure! I don’t care if it’s some creepy haunted mansion, just give me the juicy info!” he requested with a dazzling gleam in his eyes, once he mentioned ‘adventure’._

_“Oh, well, I must apologize, for I cannot offer you the information you seek. As the Ultimate Anthropologist, none of my travels have leisurely ends. Purely professional. I visited a large portion of Hungary as one more of my cultural researches. Nothing more. So am in the dark when it comes to it’s touristic value, much less to what sort of excitement it might provide to a seasoned voyager like yourself.”_

_“Nah, it’s cool. I like it better when I jump in without a plan anyway.” he assured smoothly._

_“May I ask why you wish to travel to Hungary in particular? It is not exactly a country that basks in the spotlight, yes?”_

_“Heard the capital was beautiful, that’s all. How about you?”_

_“My sister once told me a delightful story about it. My interest peeked, so I determined I would make it my next object of study.” he related enthusiastically as he hugged his own thin body. “Say, have you ever heard of a song called ‘Gloomy Sunday’?”_

_“Can’t say I do...” he responded after pondering for a moment. “But if it caught your interest, then I doubt it’s some cheerful, regular song.”_

_“Kehehe... excellent guess. Also called ‘The Hungarian Suicide Song’, Gloomy Sunday was a song created in the thirties, Hungary, whose lyrics described life as an empty burden and death as a comforting friend in a most disturbing way. The protagonist seemed to have fallen into crippling depression after his lover’s death and wished to abandon the shadows that stalked his life and reunite with her in the other side, at his own planned funeral.” he reported intrigued._

_“So... they call it the Hungarian Suicide Song, because-”_

_“Because the suicide rates skyrocketed not only in its country of origin, but also in the United States, after it was adapted there. Consequently, urban legends arose, involving its connection with the following high numbers of suicide, resulting in mass banning of the melody. Some would actually believe it was cursed, or had some sort of hypnotic power or even ties with demons.” Korekiyo interrupted eagerly, still embracing his own torso like a man would cuddle a lover. For someone so introverted, he seemed extremely interested in talking to Rantaro._

_“Yikes, demonic songs?! Now I’m not so sure if I’ll go through with this.” he ran an uncomfortable hand across his green hair as he joked with a fitting laughter._

_To be honest, that cackle was partially to expel  nervousness. His sharp intuition couldn’t help raising red flags about the fact that such a reserved man seemed so interested in discussing grim topics, with no respect for the dead._

_“The most basic knowledge any self-respecting anthropologist has is that humans always find a way to justify what they don’t understand... While it can’t be ignored that some people’s deaths were tied to the song, such as a shoemaker who quoted lyrics in his suicide note, and several other bodies were found clutching the song sheet’s music, a quick investigation disproves all of that ridiculous nonsense.” he spoke as he affectionately caressed his own cheek._

_“...How so?”_

_“At the time, harsh poverty and famine plunged the people into a deep melancholic state, aggravated by the growing fascist influence. Their will to live was hanging by a thread, all it took was a small push... Fascinating how the human mind operates, yes?” he teased darkly._

_“Are you nuts? Suicidal thoughts are not ‘fascinating’. That’s awful!” he scorned, almost offended._

_“Well, I, for one, find all aspects of humanity, even the ugly parts, to be beautiful. The sheer depth of happiness and sorrow humans can delve into is nothing but complete and utter beauty.”_ _Korekiyo nearly screamed in ecstasy as he extended his arms to the sides._

_“Hmph... And they call me cold... Didn’t you say you had a sister? How would you feel if she contemplated death?” he countered with his arms crossed._

_“Sister would never even dream of leaving my side. And neither would I... We will remain together until the end of time. From what I gathered, the same can not be said about you, yes?”_

_That hit a nerve. Hard. Due to his rich, promiscuous father, Rantaro had multiple step-siblings, which he loved equally. But then… on that fateful day… one of the sisters he held so dearly in his heart…_

_“I’ll find her! She’s not dead.” he asserted coldly, after collecting himself._

_“One can only hope so… You know, one of anthropology’s greatest interest is cultural attitude towards death. Whatever the fate of your sibling, that I will choose to remain optimistic about, there's no such thing as a death that can be accepted. Why do you think so many different cultures have funeral rites? Why do you think rumors of ways to resurrect the dead never cease? The living must find a reason, however forced, to accept death when it happens. How you come to terms with death also determines how you live, yes? How will you live a life that faces death?“ the creepy young man offered the largest amount food for thought Rantaro as ever heard._

_It was weird. In his own weird way, Korekiyo seemed to have been trying to console Rantaro. He was obviously not very in touch with his emotional side, so he figured a Korekiyo-eske way to help him try to move on. And it worked. Very slightly, but it worked. He couldn’t help thinking that the hole in his heart caused by… **her** … was a natural reaction shared by millions. His whole species **could** share his pain. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so alone._

_“Not sure if I should beat you up or thank you, Korekiyo.” he sighed. There was a faint hint of relief in the air he expelled._

_“Whichever you choose, I will make sure to thoroughly observe the beauty in your reaction…” he giggled hoarsely. Was that supposed to be a joke? Even his jokes are weird… “I just thought you needed to hear comforting words. I don’t know what I would do if one day I stopped hearing sister’s voice. And please, just call me Kiyo.”_

_“Alright, Kiyo… You talk like you and your sis are attached to the hip, so how come I never saw her?”_

_“She is ill... And… you are not Her type.” he stated firmly as he held the tip of his military regulation cap._

_“Whoa! That was not what I meant!” he raised his arms defensively. He wasn’t trying to have… something with Kiyo’s sister or anything._

_“Anyhow, what about your other sisters? I bet they are wonderful people! What are they like?”_

_And with that, Rantaro’s and Kiyo’s awkward and unlikely friendship began. They often talked about their travels and family. Kiyo frequently brought up his sister and also asked Rantaro about his own regularly too. Like, a lot. A huge lot. It was downright weird, so much to the point that the Ultimate Adventurer cringed every time he heard the word ‘sister’._

“Rantaro? Are you listening?” the Ultimate Anthropologist asked the contemplative boy.

“Oh! Um... sorry, lost in thought. What did you say?”

“...Never mind...” he dismissed with suspicious eyes turned into slits.

As they returned to the beach house, the place where they had previously met by chance, they noticed that the only footprints in sight were theirs, meaning no one had entered the spot through the front entrance.

There was another door on the side that led to the road, though. Which meant any one who crept in from there would not signal their presence in the sand. They couldn’t afford to let their guard down...

The students must have been reluctant to explore the completely clean beach, due to fear of leaving footprint trails on the sand, but they didn’t know what they were missing out on. The house near the shore was quite luxurious, as though it was made specifically for celebrities on their holidays. It was a perfect shelter.

The ceiling was unusually tall and the multiple windows brightly lit the main room; there was even a crystal chandelier, for some reason. It literally served no purpose; if truly there were celebrities who went there on vacation, then they must have been very petty.

Next to the door that led to the road, there was an extremely spacious, opulent shower room. Relief washed over them, as the water bottles Monokuma gave them in their starting backpacks were at their limit. They could already feel thirst threatening to burden them, so the finding couldn’t have arrived at a better time.

“It looks as though the tides of luck are finally rising! Quick, let’s use this shower to restock on water!” Korekiyo whispered with replenished hope.

“Don’t bother. It’s out of order.” Rantaro stated matter-of-factly.

“Huh? How would you know?” the Anthropologist asked puzzled. He could have sworn they had arrived at the same time. Rantaro entered through the lateral door that led to the road and he entered through the front door that led to the beach.

Additionally, neither of them had explored the beach house, as they went straight to the shore to see if they could find a raft or a boat or something, so Rantaro couldn’t have known.

“I mean, it’s only logical. Monokuma wants us to fight to the death. If everyone had water at their disposal indefinitely, we’d be comfortable enough to coexist and cooperate, right?” he explained confidently.

“Hmph... I suppose...” he accepted suspiciously as he confirmed that the shower indeed didn’t work.

It was still a huge assumption. Someone with a very limited water supply, in a freaking Killing Game no less, would have at least checked. Something was off about Rantaro... He was definitely hiding something...

“Anyway, check out that window over there. It’s pretty high up, but if two people work together, they might be able to come in. If we use this place as shelter, we have to barricade it, unless you have a thing for getting ambushed in your sleep.” the Adventurer pointed out the high entrance in the wall.

“Agreed. All the doors can be locked. In order to secure our safety, we must do something about that. Let’s see we can find something.”

Before exploring another area, they briefly checked the bathroom closet. After a quick glance, they dismissed it as irrelevant, since there were only clean towels in sight.

As they left, they noticed a refrigerator in the main room, which contained five bottled drinks. Perhaps in order to balance risk with reward, Monokuma was generous enough to include it there. Upon further inspection, it was plain to see that the drinks were heavily colored, sweetened and above all, unhealthy.

“At least these drinks have water and calories in it. Um, I suppose we can’t afford to be petty in this situation.” Rantaro sighed as he put a bright pink bottle with ‘Choco Drink’ in it’s label inside his given backpack.

“There is an odd number of bottles. How will we split the fifth?”

“Well, duh. You can’t split cash, but you can split liquid, remember?” Rantaro joked at the obvious question.

“What I’m trying to say is: How will we find others and coexist peacefully when everyone struggles to survive. Do you think any of our parched friends will settle with only a fraction of what they have available?” Korekiyo warned darkly.

“Don’t worry about that. Let’s just take this and explore the island some more!” he mumbled and changed the subject irritated.

“What stops me from snatching all five of them and go on a killing rampage?” the tall young man threatened with slit-like eyes.

His heart skipped a beat and his adrenaline levels skyrocketed. For a second, he thought Korekiyo would take out one of his knives and attack him, but a loud noise miraculously interrupted his savage instinct.

“What the hell was that?!” he asked frightened, as quietly as possible.

“It sounded like something heavy fell.” the other boy responded viciously.

That was the last straw. There was no shadow of doubt that Kiyo couldn’t be trusted anymore. Regardless, he would still act as an ally until they determined what caused that noise. After that, he would leave.

The source of the sound seemed to come from the shower room, so they hurried there. As soon as he opened the door, Rantaro saw a pair of thin legs with white socks and sandals jumping off the high window.

“How did they sneak past us?” he wondered calmer.

“They must have been hidden behind the towels in the closet... Quick! Help me up so I can check who they were!” Korekiyo urged hastily.

“So you can kill them and then me?! You think I was fucking born yesterday?! I thought you were smarter than that, Kiyo.” Rantaro refused coldly.

“Kehehe... and here I was hoping we could all get along... I suppose it can’t be helped... I would do this sooner or later.” Korekiyo pulled out two kunai knives from his pocket and lunged at him.

Rantaro quickly removed his backpack and used it as a shield in case he failed to dodge his attacker. With a ridiculous plastic hammer as an immensely inferior weapon, running away was all he could do.

Their lungs heaved as though they were fighting off a cougar. Their muscles were rock-hard tense. But still, Kiyo wasn’t quite as animalistically enraged as Rantaro, almost as if he was already desensitized from the emotion that came with murder.

The Anthropologist proved himself far more athletic than his slender body would let on. Though his first knife swing landed on the backpack, his agility matched his opponent's and slashed his wrist.

Blood gushed from his arm all over the luxurious bathroom, and Rantaro could feel the unmerciful grip of death tightening. He desperately struggled to maintain his life functions as they slipped away...

Kiyo would absolutely love to stay  and carefully observe his friend’s slow, painful death. And investigate all of his reactions and behaviours as the light in his pale green eyes dimmed in their final conversation.

But he had more important prey about to slip by his fingers...

After he shot out of the beach house to chase down his next victim, Rantaro used the last strength he had left in his expiring body and crawled across the blood-stained floor towards the bathroom closet. With the arm that wasn’t slashed, he dragged himself and almost failed to get up on his weakened knees.

He was less than a minute away from passing out from blood loss, but he still managed to grip a towel with his trembling hand and covered the mangled one with it.

_If there is a God... Please, I hope that blade wasn’t the one he used to kill the eel... Please tell me that kunai was not infected..._

The towel was completely drenched in his crimson life fluid in a matter of seconds, yet he managed to tie it around the gushing wound forcefully with the help of his healthy teeth.

The bleeding was successfully staunched. Then, all he could do was lie down and hope that his body would repair itself while he was blacked out and that no one would find him.

_Disappointed? Hell yeah. Surprised? Not even slightly. I can’t believe I brought myself to trust that guy... **That last time** , I got screwed because I refused to trust others. But now, I got screwed because I made a leap of faith with Kiyo. I honestly feel more stupid than betrayed. I should have abandoned him when I had the chance, instead of sticking around, hoping to exploit him. Well, it’s okay. By this point, I’m a professional survivor. This is nothing compared to what I’ve endured before. _

In his last moments of consciousness, he wondered who were those lucky souls that escaped through the window. No one could jump off a window that high without the help of at least one person. The thin legs he saw clearly belonged to a female. They were quite familiar too... If he wasn’t on the verge of fainting, his brain would spell out the name with ease...

_Whoever they were, I hope they give Kiyo just what he deserves... Oh Kiyo... There’s definitely something wrong with you... You’re seriously fucked up in the head... Even before, that was plain to see... You talk about death and murder like you talk about the weather; you didn’t even blink when you tried to kill me. Still, I can’t help feeling sorry for you. You obviously went through something really fucked up to make you that fucked up... I think... I think that’s why I stuck around with you. You helped me get over my sister’s... disappearance. I wanted to return the favour and see if I could help you with your own issues..._

* * *

“C’mon, Himiko! Don’t stop running! They didn’t see us!” Tenko Chabashira enthusiastically encouraged her lethargic friend, hoping to steer up some morale in her.

“Wh-Where are we going now?!” the pessimistic Ultimate Magician muttered.

“I uh... I don’t know...” the Ultimate Aikido Master confessed as she tried to mask the massive amounts of stress that burned her chest, as she practically dragged her slow companion by the hand.

“You don’t know?!”

“Just relax, Himiko! I’ll protect you no matter what! Plus, only boys will try to attack us, and everybody knows that all males are good-for-nothing degenerates!” Tenko assured with a playful wink. Keeping an optimistic front, despite visibly sweating bullets.

_“Oh no... What do I do? What do I do? She’s seeing right through me. She doesn’t have it in her to stand tall and fight. Without me, she’ll give up in a second and get herself killed! I searched all the facilities nearby and there was always someone already in there. Thankfully, I fought them all off, but... what now? Those two degenerate males in the beach house have surely started giving chase! I knew we should have left sooner! God, there is only so much I can improvise!”_ the brunette screamed in her mind.

“Stop!” the tiny girl begged as she pulled her arm back. She paused for a little while to regain her breath.

“What’s the matter, Himiko? Are you alright?!” Tenko asked concerned.

“No... I’m tired! I’m sweaty! I’m hungry! I’m done! This is all a pain. Surviving...and everything else... It's too much of a pain...” the red-haired female whined slowly and sluggishly.

“What are you talking about, Himiko? We’re fine!” she chuckled nervously. “Let’s just keep moving. We can’t stay here out in the open.”

“Face it. We’re not fine... How could we be fine when we’re... when we’re in a Killing Game? This is all a pain...”

She swore she was one second away from lifting her and carry her while she jogged, that way they’d move a lot faster.

“Listen, I know things look tough right now, but we really don’t have time to mope around. We need to find a place to hide, and fast!”

“What’s the point... We risked so much in that beach house and all we managed to swipe was some juice and a lifebuoy... And because of you, everyone we met is gonna put us on the top of their kill list!” the lazy Magician lashed out desperate.

She was right. They had no where to go, and it was indeed Tenko’s fault. When they investigated the nearby pharmacy, they were spotted by a docile Kiyotaka Ishimaru, who tried to form an alliance with them, but was dropkicked by the Ultimate Aikido Master instead, much to Himiko’s dismay.

When they tried their luck in the Diner restaurant, a frightened Kazuichi offered his help to the girls. Himiko wanted to group up with him, as the numbers would make her feel safer, but Tenko just had to dropkick him too.

Upon a closer look at the library, they were met by a wounded, weeping Teruteru. Know what Tenko did? You guessed it: She dropkicked him.

Then, she insisted on taking a lifebuoy from the beach house closet, in case it would come in handy. Judging by the shark infested waters, it probably wouldn’t be...

One by one, she ruined all chances of forming a strong guild; even worse, she was just creating more and more enemies.

Right now, they were investigating some sort of Ancient Ruin, relatively far from the Beach House. It was huge and completely covered by overgrown flora, so it was hard to make out what kind of facility it was. Vines, leaves and trunks almost completely covered it.

Unlike all other places they found, which practically shined by how clean they were, those ruins emanated a strong, mouldy musk, and was so dirty that a fog of dust lifted every time the wind blew.

“Hey, Himiko...”

“What?!” she answered vexed as she drank the last drop from of water that Monokuma provided.

“Doesn’t this look like... Hope’s Peak Academy?!” she asked with her hands in front of her extremely accelerated heart. The building which trapped her quivering gaze defied any logical explanation she could come up with.

Though Himiko thought Tenko was going mad due to malnutrition, she still gave it a more thorough look and... there was indeed a striking resemblance... “No way... It can’t be!” Himiko practically screamed in disbelief. How could the prestigious school they frequented for the past three years be in the middle of an uninhabited island?

“Sh-Should we... explore it?” she nervously asked with trembling knees. She certainly didn’t want to know what the hell was going on there, but... they didn’t anywhere else to go either.

“I won’t step anywhere near that place! It has ‘death trap’ written all over it!” the Ultimate Magician refused with clenched fists.

***Ding dong, bing bong***

“Ahem, Hope’s Peak Academy’s School Trip Executive Committee has an announcement to make... It is now 12:00 p.m.! That means it’s time for me to report all the deaths that happened so far!” Monokuma’s whimsical voice echoed in the air.

“Okay guys, wipe your ears, this stuff’s important, and I ain’t repeating shit! Ahem... milk, honey, eggs, bread, butt plugs, potatoes, absinthe, lettuce... Oh shit! This is my grocery list! Fuck, I seriously gotta lay off the morning martinis...” the teddy bear continued through the loud speakers.

Himiko and Tenko were utterly paralysed. It almost amazed them how a tiny stuffed animal with a playful voice could inflict such dread with a few cheap jokes. Instinctively, they sunk to their knees as they embraced and rocked each other’s desperate bodies.

 “Now, the first to kick the bucket was Hiyoko Saionji; thank God; followed by Leon Kuwata... Er, who’s this guy again? And finally, Hifumi Yamada, who’d probably die of diabetes soon anyway. No big losses here, buuuut... C’mon guys, I know it’s still only the second day, but I was expecting more than 3 deaths... Well, that’s okay! I’m sure most of you are running out of food and water. So if you’re feeling thirsty, I advise you to feel stabby too, ‘cause you ain’t feeling back-homey ‘till eveyone’s feeling deady.”

Two pairs of trembling eyes shot instantly at each other’s direction. Nothing but primal fear filled their pupils. Himiko seriously considered getting up and running away screaming. After all, the athletic girl who was holding her in her arms could easily squeeze her frail, little neck until she stopped kicking. How close were they anyway? For all she knew, Tenko could very well snap at any second and unleash some bottled up murderous frenzy...

“You know, in retrospect, _maybe_ I’m being a tiny, little bit harsh on you. After all, getting trapped in an alcohol free island? Fuck me! I wouldn’t stand that shit! So because of that, I’ve decided to lighten the mood for a little while... I will call this the Monokuma Theatre!!! Upuhuhu!” Monokuma announced with his signature screeching chuckle.

_Monokuma Theatre...? Oh no... This can’t be good!_

“So, one day, on my high school years, I was having a math class with a totally smoking hot busty bear teacher, and the amount of fucks I was giving about the her lecture equalled two million times zero. Anyway, in order to lighten the mood I said «Hey yo, teach! You’re like squared sine, and I’m like squared cosine, together we’re one!»... Corny, I know, but keep in mind I was kinda high that day... Anyhow, she gave me a disgusted look and said «Oh mah Gawd, Monokuma, quit hitting on me and give me 100, now!” and I was like «Do you think I have that much cash?” and she was like “No, you fucking dumbass, I meant push-ups!”. I couldn’t think of any witty come-back, so «I don’t have those either» was all I could say...”

_Um... What the hell is going on? Is he trying to make us all go crazy faster...?_

“... My whole class was laughing at me and saying stuff like «Oh mah Gawd! She owned yo ass!»... God! I was so mad! That was the day I discovered the limitless pleasure that despair provides... My come-back central was activated under pressure and I said «Oh yeah?! Well... at least I’m not a MOLESTER!!!!!», she gasped and said “Oh mah Gawd! How did you know?», and I was like «Duh! ’Cause you’re always squeezing my hairy butt, dumbass!».

Then, that gaslighting slut flashed a smug grin and said «Um... no... it’s actually you who squeezes you own butt!», and my class was like «Ooooh... How are you gonna come-back from that, Monokuma?!» and then I aimed my butthole at her, snapped my fingers and yelled «Suck it, BITCH!!!», and then she just stood there like a retard not knowing how to counter... Probably because she got dripping wet horny after checking out my sexy ass... Anyway, my class was like «Oooh, that’s badass. Whoa, snap.. Badass.», my crush even said, «Oh mah Gawd, Monosensei’s ass is getting owned by her own students!», and I was there all confident thinking «I’m the shit!». Was it worthy? Not really, ‘cause she molested me after the class ended...” Monokuma finished his ridiculous story time.

At that moment, ‘What the fuck?!’ was the only emotion that Himiko and Tenko felt.

“What was my point with this story again? Oh, right! Since I know what it’s like to get sodomized in the ass by an authority figure, I can empathize with your disdain for me for not giving you enough provisions... So like I promised at the beginning of the Killing Game, I will drop an indefinite amount of supply boxes with parachutes, that contain water, food and ammo... Keep in mind that the amount of boxes I send is proportional to the amount of survivors left, and that I will mainly drop’em on the places I deem will cause more despair! Upuhuhu!!!”

_“That he deems will cause more despair...? Does that mean that he’ll drop provisions on places where we might fight for them?”_ Tenko thought with her nerves shot.

“And... yeah, that’s it... You can go on with killing now. Chop, chop... Monokuma out, mothafuckas! Peace.” and with that, they heard the sound of a mic drop and the loudspeakers were turned off.

“F-Food...? Tenko, you need to get your hands on one of those boxes!” Himiko gasped.

_Wait... ‘you’? Why didn’t she say ‘we’?_

“R-Right! Okay, he said he’d drop them... do you see anything?” the Aikido Master asked as she scanned the bright, sunny sky with a pale palm casting a shadow over her sensitive eyes.

“Over there!” the Magician screeched a she pointed vertically to the Heavens.

Relief caused the girls to laugh and almost scream and party in ecstasy as a large half-black, half-white box with a Monokuma logo fell with a matching parachute practically straight toward them.

Even the slothful mage felt hope cut right through her usual lethargy as she ran to the supply box. She was that thirsty.

_Wait a second... Monokuma said he’d drop provisions on places he thought would incite a battle... That box fell almost on us, but Himiko and I haven’t fought or even argued yet... Wind is also pretty much nonexistent at the moment... That means...!_

“Himiko, look out!” she cried out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to end this in a cliff-hanger, but don’t worry! The next chapter will be up in a few seconds ;)  
> Also, was Monokuma’s Theater too cringey? I hope it was at least a little humorous... XD  
> Oh, and the Suicide song is actually real, for those of you who were wondering.
> 
> Known weapons so far:  
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield   
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle   
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun   
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol   
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow   
> Leon Kuwata: Baseball Bat   
> Makoto Naegi - Micro Uzi 9mm Machine Gun   
> Kyoko Kirigiri: Slingshot   
> Byakyua Togami: Beretta M92F 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol   
> Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Tomahawk   
> Rantaro Amami: Plastic Hammer   
> Korekiyo Shinguji: A set of Kunai 
> 
> Deaths:  
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors   
> Victim: Leon Kuwata – Killer: Hifumi Yamada – Weapon: Crossbow + bolt   
> Victim: Hifumi Yamada – Killer: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Weapon: Tomahawk


	7. Burned Apothecary

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter ends with a character having a flashback that will depict rather gory violence and non-consensual sexual acts. I’m not sure if it technically counts as rape, but it might be too sensitive for certain people. If you wish to avoid this part, I advise you to stop reading when a poem appears, the rest should be fine. Let’s get started.

And just like that, a dagger flew with extreme precision like a sneaky, deadly viper’s attack; successfully hitting it’s mark.

Fortunately, however, Tenko’s warning came just in time, as Himiko instantly jerked at her forewarning. But the kunai that rained down out of nowhere still managed to stab her palm.

Korekiyo then jolted away from the lush wall of the Ancient Ruins that concealed his frame and sought to finish the job. Even though his slender, tall legs moved ferociously, his expression was nothing but calm and collected.

The harmless mage had no will left in her body. She was stabbed past her breaking point. All she did was sit on her knees and cry from the excruciating pain.

Perhaps this was due to having a rumbling stomach and an arid tongue, but Tenko was starting to get extremely fed up with her companion’s uselessness. Himiko would do nothing but complain all the time, and if things started going south, she would just moan and not put any effort whatsoever. Even if her life was in danger, she would simply sit back and wait for Tenko to do something. But of course, Tenko loved her so much that she wouldn’t voice her opinion.

Like always, Tenko had to jump in to the rescue. A seasoned martial artist like herself was more than confident in engaging with an armed, and apparently skilled, fierce man like Kiyo.

Voicing her displeasure in her unreliable friend with a groan, she proceeded to push aside Himiko and effortlessly dodge Korekiyo’s assault.

“Himiko! Grab the box and run! I’ll hold him off!” she ordered as she started the fight.

But the Magician barely reacted... She simply stood there crying as she pressed the painful wound on her hand.

It was more of a chase than a fight. Korekiyo simply avoided her, while she pursued. A smart move: she could overpower most people in the Killing Game without the need of a weapon, due to her experience in Aikido.

After brushing off her blows, he dashed straight for the box. Just when Tenko thought that day couldn’t get any  worse, the Anthropologist actually managed to swipe it.

Her heart skipped a beat when he turned his attention and dagger to Himiko lightning fast. She threw herself at him, as he pierced one of Himiko’s layer of skin cells with the tip of the sharp knife, but thankfully, she managed to use her specialty on him before more damage was done.

Can you guess what she did to him? She punched him... Nah, just kidding, she dropkicked him.

But he got up heaving, more than prepared for a fight this time. His primal, amber eyes peaked her adrenaline. Things weren’t looking good for the girls. Tenko was not so confident she would defeat him anymore.

“Atua will punish you!” another girl came from behind, swinging an axe-like weapon at Korekiyo.

Tenko didn’t need to see the girl that saved them to know who she was. It was, without a doubt, Angie Yonaga, the Ultimate Artist.

Once again, he nimbly dodged the attack. But he was too tired and hungry to continue the fight. There was really no point. They’d probably die without food and water, so he decided to take his prize and leave.

“Hey, get back here and fight like a man!” Tenko yelled as she gave chase.

“Save your energies, Tenko. Atua tells me you won’t be able to catch him.” Angie advised as she lightly pulled the brunette.

“Gr... Typical males, they are all cowards!” she cursed after stopping.

“A-Angie! Angie, you saved us!” Himiko gasped with teary eyes.

_Um, what?! Is she seriously gonna ignore the fact that I literally just saved her at least twice?!_

“Nyahahaha! But of course! I want to make sure that my friends live every day like it's bright, cheery, and fun!...So says Atua. I couldn’t just sit idly by and let that lost heretic disrupt harmony.” the dark skinned girl babbled as she threw her arms up.

“Oh! Thank you, Angie. Really. Thank you so much!” Tenko spoke as a wave of relief and hope washed over her and walked up to her for a hug. 

“Nuh uh! No hugging. You two, give me your backpacks and weapons. Now.” she ordered as she aimed her weapon at a halting Tenko.

The weapon she wielded was bundle of wooden rods, with an axe emerging from it. It was called a fasces. Himiko gasped and froze. Tenko raised her hands defensively and her legs started shaking in indecisiveness.

* * *

“Gah… Finally…” Korekiyo spoke as he feasted on the provisions in the box he took.

He devoured the food and water ravenously. He felt like he would go mad if he didn’t have a meal soon.

_“Korekiyo… why didn’t you kill those girls? They seemed so nice… Do you want me to be alone?”_ his sister’s voice echoed inside his skull.

“I’m sorry, sister… I was just… so starved… Their chances of survival are next to nonexistent without provisions, in any case. I don’t think it was necessary to-”

_“My, my, Korekiyo… Are you lying to me? You seem to have plenty of energy right now. Surely, you must have had enough to kill them earlier. Why, are you going soft? Or do you perhaps… not love me anymore?”_ she questioned in his mind.

“No… No, no, NO! I just… I am sorry, sister! I am so, very sorry! I promise, I will make it up to You. Now that I have finished eating, I will resume my hunt and have them join You!” he yelled nervously, as he pressed his head with both his hands.

“ _Will you now? Oh, that is so sweet of you. Let us go then. We **will** win this Killing Game together, and then, no one will disturb us any longer… I love you, Korekiyo.”_ she assured inside his head.

“I love You more, sister. I promise You, before I join You, I will make sure You are accompanied by the best people available. I won’t rest until I give at least You 100 friends… We will also have to be cautious of Rantaro Amami… He possessed far too knowledge of this island to use ‘guesses’ as an excuse… He was also absent during the previous Killing Game… I believe he was the previous winner ” he asserted confidently.

With his resolve solidified, he set out to finish what he started. He would win and make his sister proud. He was painfully aware of what would happen if she didn’t have her way…

_“Sweet Korekiyo... My sweet, sweet Korekiyo... Would you please accompany your sister for a moment? I need you help for... a very important thing.” his beloved sibling startled him while he was doing his homework in his room. He hated when she did that._

_“Oh! Of course, sister! What is it that you need?” he questioned a little nervous. She wasn’t usually in such a good mood. Bad things happened when she was feeling good..._

_“Just follow me...” she whispered seductively, summoning him with an alluring curling index finger._

_“Um... Okay... But, shouldn’t you be resting? You are still recovering from your illness, sister...” he muttered meekly._

_“No need to worry, my angel. I haven’t felt so well in ages. I think my health is returning in full!” she nearly yelled out of elation._

_Not only was the calm, tranquil young woman unusually jolly, she was also becoming increasingly euphoric. He had a terrible feeling about her... His heart accelerated and sweat threatened to ascend up his forehead as he tried his hardest not to show how his breathing became uneven._

_“Um... very well...”_

_He got up and approached her curious. She then guided him with a gentle hand on his back towards the attic in their house._

_“What are we to do in the attic? Is something in there, sister?” he asked apprehensive. He could swear he could listen a faint, muffled sound down the dark space, but he couldn’t make out what it was exactly._

_“Come.” she ordered not so angelically, completely disregarding his questions with a mischievous grin._

_“I-I... I am not certain that is a good idea... What is the point anyway?” he asserted, reluctant to admit that he was scared of the dark, deserted place, despite being in his house._

_She knew the attic frightened him, but didn’t care. She liked seeing him jumpy, she found it cute._

_With a progressively faster heartbeat, he turned the attic’s dim light on, and climbed down the stairs, despite the fact that every fibre of his being yelled at him to turn back and run away._

_Those dreadful sounds became clearer as he drew near... They sounded like... moans of pain... He got so nervous that he could no longer silence his panicked respiration. The muscles in his face and lips twitched uncontrollably, even the ones in his legs sensed danger and urged to stop moving. Noticing his reluctance, **she** happily pushed him to the destination. _

_“S-Sister... Wh-What is going on here...?” he asked genuinely afraid of the person he loved the most for the first time._

_He saw... a child in pain; a girl, couldn't be older than eleven, blindfolded, tied up in her hands and feet and a piece of cloth in her mouth preventing her from making herself audible enough._

_The poor toddler tensed up and attempted to scream behind the cloth once she sensed their presence. As she further soaked the already drenched blindfold with tears, she desperately tried to break free from the sadistic red ropes, that had dug into her skin and flesh from all that struggling._

_Korekiyo released the purest form of dread he had ever felt with a sharp scream and instinctively ran to the brutalized little girl to help her._

_“Sweet Korekiyo, calm yourself...” she pleaded sweetly with her usual pure, charming face; after holding him in place with her hands on his younger shoulders._

_“Sister, what did you do!?” he shrieked as he expelled stress in the form of sweat._

_“Why, I just prepared a ritual that will help my body become healthy faster! I needed a spiritual medium, and my dear, sweet little brother is the only one I trust.” she stated nonchalantly._

_“No! I refuse! This is insane, sister! We will set free that kid and that’s final!” he asserted angrily. As much she frightened him, his conscious spoke louder._

_She giggled innocently. “What was that, brother? I could swear you just defied me, but surely, I must have misheard your words...”_

_“I-I mean it... Y-You must-”_

_She slapped his smaller body across the room while still maintaining her innocent smirk.  She actually did it surprisingly hard, considering she was far from her physical prime._

_“Come now, my dear... Let us not do anything we might regret in the future...” she whispered hoarsely with her head tilted, as she delightfully watched her defeated, submissive brother moping on floor completely terrified._

_“... I hope you understand that I only act a little more firmly sometimes, because you are still too young to possess the basic skills to think for yourself. You are simply not intelligent enough yet to make proper decisions. But don’t be sad, my sweet, I am certain that in a few years, you will be an amazing, enlightened young man more than capable of faring individually like myself. Until then, do try to appreciate the fact that I’m going out of my way to guide you with a firm hand through the path of success. I will be **very** angry if Hope’s Peak Academy doesn’t scout you.” she lectured completely guilt-free._

_“I-I know, sister... I apologize for undermining all you have done for me...” he muttered as he got up._

_“And?”_

_“And... I-I love you, sister... From the bottom of my heart.” he confessed with a genuine grin and brows drawn together._

_“I am glad we cleared that up... You see, it was extremely hard to abduct a virgin without leaving a shred of evidence. It requires the intelligence you have yet to gain... You should feel honored and privileged that I am entrusting you with the role of spiritual medium, because... if you refuse to aid in the recovery of your beloved sister, I will take that as a direct threat to my life... and you just might be my next virgin sacrifice in a healing ritual...” she whispered menacingly in his ear._

_“I-I... understand...” he yielded with his head tilted forward and gulped hard at her heartless threat._

_“Excellent. Now, let’s shut up this noisy bitch for good. I’m sick of listening to her cry.” she patted his short, black hair and gave him a piece of paper with what he was supposed to say and do during the healing rite._

_Around the frantic, weeping girl, there was a large and complicated circular drawing with salt. He went to a designated spot marked with salt and awaited further orders._

_“I want to get out of here. I want to get out of here. I WANT TO GET OUT OF HERE!” he echoed like mantra inside his horrified head._

_It was impossible not to empathise with the poor little girl. She acted exactly like a squeaky, wounded rabbit cornered against a wall by a pack of ravenous wolves, left with no other choice but to claw it’s way out of the wall with increasingly bloodier paws. Korekiyo was certain that throughout the entire history of mankind, that girl had far surpassed the record of highest levels of norepinephrine and adrenaline in a human being’s organism._

_His sister slowly removed the gag and blindfold, savouring every moment of despair from her victim._

_“Help! Help! I want my mommy...! Please, let me go, I didn’t do anything... I just want to see my mommy...” she cried the second her mouth was released, with extremely red and puffy eyes._

_“Kehehe... I hope you enjoyed your time with your mommy, because the next time you reunite with her, it will be in the afterlife!” his sister laughed darkly._

_Then, she removed a weird-looking dagger from a drawer. Apparently, it was used in sacrifices and it was made of volcanic glass. The lights were turned off, and she lit the dark room with several candles._

_“No!” the girl screamed even sharper at the sight of the menacing weapon. She kicked and screamed desperately like any child would at the face of imminent death._

_But it was all for naught: she would not break free. If Korekiyo wasn’t so distressed, he would be repulsed by the nauseating scent of urine coming from the frightened girl._

_“S-Sister, h-hold on...” he extended a pleading hand as rivers cascaded down his eyes._

_“Sing what’s on the paper. Now!” she hollered back at him._

_He was having a very hard time reading through a thick layer tears and trembling hands. But then again, the human sacrifice was having a far worse time. And he certainly didn’t want to end up like her..._

_“I’m sorry. I’m so, so sorry...” he wept in his thoughts._

_“Oh, Burned Apothecary,_

_you who hastened to cure_

_the woman you would marry._

_You who were scorched by fools,_

_caught in the crossfire...” he started singing reluctantly._

_As the lit candles and the burned incense started providing much needed heat and fragrance to that god-forsaken room, his evil sibling gleefully swung the sacrificial knife to the pitiful child’s body. She started with her legs: for each of the numerous and slow stabs, she pleasured herself by digging the dagger deep inside the tender flesh, tearing even through bone tissue. She even went as far as to twist the blade while it was inside._

_The terrorising sound of the dagger colliding with the body, akin to that of chopping meat, would be burned in his mind for eternity. He couldn’t avoid blinking hard each time he heard it. Still, he wasn’t sure if the sound of the poor victim’s piercing screams or the sound of his demonic sister’s sadistic giggles were even more traumatising._

_“Ahhhhh! Ahhhhh! AAAAAAAAGGHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!!! YEAHAAAAAAGGHH!!!!!” she shrieked louder than humanly possible._

_He just prayed to whatever divine entity that existed for the girl to pass out from the pain, or for her to die before her fate turns even more excruciating than it needed to be._

_“Scream at the top of your lungs if you so desire! No one will hear you! And the meds I gave you will prevent you from passing out, so do try to enjoy this as much as I am!” the long, raven haired young woman shouted in pure ecstasy. “Stop being a dastard, Korekiyo! Continue!”_

_He focused his vision and hearing in the paper with all his might, in order to ignore the pure, primal terror that cut through the air like perfect a sine wave._

_“Faultless, with your soul unburdened,_

_the greed of men was your pyre._

_By Boshin, your life burned,_

_by Boshin, her life expired_

_Now, your eternal soul ignited._

_This virgin I offer thee._

_Take her heart, take her kidney_

_Take whatever you desire_

_Take it all to the fire_

_But in return, heal me!_

_Incinerate this gift,_

_Offer it to your maiden._

_But my blight you must lift:_

_Finish your past mission._

_Thereby your charred spirit,_

_no longer has to laden._

_A sacrifice for thee,_

_to bring me salvation;_

_A fair trade, rescue me_

_Oh, Burned Apothecary!”_

_His sister turned her attention to other parts of the body. Though equally vicious and powerful, she ripped her apart from the inside, whilst avoiding vital points. She undoubtedly studied human anatomy thoroughly in order to brutalize someone so skilfully without halting the horrifying symphony of inhuman screams. In fact, the dedicated might she displayed, energized by sadistic pleasure, made him wonder if the healing ritual was already working. She didn’t seem sick at all._

_The ritual’s poem spoke of a man, an apothecary, who was apparently rushing to save his fiancé from some illness, but had the misfortune of bumping into one more of the casualties of the Boshin civil war, during Meiji Period in Japan; and as a result, died in a fire. How did she learn of that story? How did she learn there was a ritual attached to it. It couldn't be true... right?_

_The heartless perpetrator dropped various organs inside one of the spots marked with salt, but he didn’t even dare look at them. The blood-soaked floor was already too gruesome for him to see._

_“I can’t take any more of this! I’m losing my mind! Stop it stop it STOP IT!!!! “ he thought paralyzed, now that the poem was over._

_But the chopping sounds didn’t stop._

_“Is it still going on?! Come on, just die already!... ‘Die already’? Oh, what is wrong with me...? I think... I think I’m losing my mind... You know what, at this point, I don’t care anymore, I just want this to end and be in peace!” Korekiyo thought with his eyes squeezed shut._

_After well over an hour, the girl finally died. The suffering had ceased, which seemed to have angered his sister, seeing as her demented laughing turned into a silent frown, but that didn’t stop her from mutilating the body post-mortem._

_Following the rituals rules she feasted on her victim’s blood, before setting the corpse and the separated organs on fire._

_“With this virgin sacrifice, I ask you, Burned Apothecary, to purge my ailment.” she emotionlessly recited, as she stared up with her arms lifted. “You may step off the circle, brother. The ritual is over.”_

_He instantly fell to his knees and starting bawling uncontrollably, rocking himself on the floor as he held his head firmly, as though he was preventing what was left of his sanity to escape his mind._

_“I am so very sorry, sweet Korekiyo... Was that too much for you to handle?” she comforted him with a hug. She was acting as angelically as if nothing had happened._

_No response. But then again, he couldn’t respond, even if he wanted to. The floodgates in his eyes were open, and he was rendered unable to speak until there were no tears left to cry._

_“I... I suspected this was too much for you. I am sorry, but I was desperate... I needed to perform this ritual...” she gently whispered as she caressed his shoulders with her bloody hands. The smell of blood nauseated him._

_“Ooh... I have an idea... I know just what to do in order to make up to you!” she spoke seductively as her amber eyes gleamed. “After all that pain, you deserve pleasure...” she licked his ear._

_Two soft hands slowly travelled down his torso to his pants. They slid beneath the underwear and felt their way to the soft destination. Korekiyo was still thirteen years old, puberty had just started, but she already knew the organ she was smoothly caressing would grow quite big. She’d know, she was experienced in that sort of thing after all._

_When her bloody hands came into contact with his masculine structure, his only reaction was wide open his eyes. In just barely two hours, he felt more emotions than a human being is able to feel throughout their entire life. His emotions were extinguished as a coping mechanism. He felt nothing._

_The thought of using her dear little brother to satiate her filthy needs whenever she pleased aroused her to no end._

_“God, I want to fuck the shit out of this boy!!... But I probably should keep this tame for now… He is still scarred…” she thought in her perverted mind._

_While he laid there, completely lethargic, she gently caressed his developing male member. After a while, his body felt involuntarily stimulated… It was a weird feeling in his stomach, similar to the one he had when he saw beautiful women… And then, he felt himself get harder._

_“Ooh… that’s the stuff… You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?” she giggled provocatively._

_Finally, he reacted: by saying no with his head._

_“Hmph… You will one day. I assure that when you become tall and hung, you will long for nothing but my warmth.”_

_Soon after, he climaxed. However, it was not pleasurable or meaningful at all for him; his peak resulted purely out of external stimulation and involuntary bodily reactions._

_“Hmmmmm… You taste like Heaven, my sweet, sweet Korekiyo.” she moaned as she licked the mix of red and white fluid on her fingers._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> God, this took a loooong time XD though this time I have to admit that the huge delay was mainly due to laziness… This got a lot longer than I thought too, so I split this chapter in two. Okay, so nobody died now, but don’t worry, the Killing continues next ;) I can’t just kill off characters like that out of the blue, I have to give them some meaning.
> 
> Anyway, I was surprisingly invested in writing the poem of the ritual, which is weird, because I thought it would be my least favorite part to write, but I had a lot of fun. Plus, unlike the rest, I thought it up and wrote it very quickly, and it was all improvised (despite the fact that I wrote it VERY past midnight XD). I had a general idea of what the spiritual entity that Korekiyo’s sister wanted to summon revolved around, then in the middle, I literally googled a civil war in Japan, came across the Boshin war, and finished it right away. I even went as far as to make sure that each verse had 6 metric syllables (well, most of them XD because again, I’m lazy).
> 
> With that out of the way, I’d appreciate if you told me what you thought of this chapters… or else Tenko will dropkick you! >:( Nah, just kidding, I won’t let her do that ;) 
> 
> Known weapons so far:  
> Hiyoko Saionji– Sewing scissors (currently held by Celes)  
> Celestia Ludenberg – Pepper spray  
> Teruteru Hanamura – Shield  
> Mikan Tsumiki – Sickle  
> Gonta Gokuhara – Stun Gun  
> Shuichi Saihara - Colt M1911 .45 Semi-Automatic Pistol  
> Hifumi Yamada – Crossbow  
> Leon Kuwata: Baseball Bat  
> Makoto Naegi - Micro Uzi 9mm Machine Gun  
> Kyoko Kirigiri: Slingshot  
> Byakyua Togami: Beretta M92F 9mm Semi-Automatic Pistol  
> Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Tomahawk  
> Rantaro Amami: Plastic Hammer  
> Korekiyo Shinguji: A set of Kunai  
> Angie Yonaga: Fasces  
>    
> Deaths:  
> Victim: Hiyoko Saionji - Killer: Celestia Ludenberg – Weapon: Sewing scissors  
> Victim: Leon Kuwata – Killer: Hifumi Yamada – Weapon: Crossbow + bolt  
> Victim: Hifumi Yamada – Killer: Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu – Weapon: Tomahawk

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first chapter of my Danganronpa/ Battle Royale crossover. What did you think? I HOPE ;) I nailed Monokuma’s comical aspect, to be frank, I drew some inspiration from NicoB XD
> 
> This is set in a not very different AU, where the casts from the 3 games are all final year students in Hope’s Peak Academy, making a total of 48 participants in the Killing Game, excluding the teachers and including Mukuro Ikusaba and the Ultimate Imposter. 
> 
> The rules are similar from Battle Royale, but I made some changes. Instead of punishing students who don’t move, I decided to reward students who move. Meaning I scrapped the whole danger zones thing and added this rule where supplies and ammunition fall in boxes with parachutes randomly across the island 4 times per day, also because the fact that the cast in Battle Royale had infinite ammos was ridiculous to me.
> 
> In the first scenes, I also tried to include each game’s main theme in their respective protagonist. Kaede = Truth/ Lies; Hajime= Talent/ Future; Makoto= Hope/ Despair.
> 
> Anyway, do let me know what you thought. I am currently writing another fanfiction for Attack on Titan, so I’ll have to split my limited time with these 2 T_T Do check it out if you enjoyed this.
> 
> But the fun part will only begin next ;)


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